The Shackles of Love and a Wish
by Kovaras
Summary: Goetia was defeated, and the human order was saved from incineration. For such a heroic feat, Ritsuka Fujimaru, the younger of the Fujimaru twins and one of the key masters of the effort was repaid in the Clock Tower with treachery. Unwilling to accept such an outcome, two Avengers defied fate to give her a new chance, a new life in a timeline still in the age of the gods.
1. Prologue: Flames of London

_How did it turn out this way?_

Ritsuka Fujimaru could only ponder as her vision begins to blacken as she leans her broken body against the wall. The greedy visages of the magi who betrayed her dimming from her sight. To her side, Mash her stalwart friend lies broken and bleeding on the ground, her body all too mortal and frail after saving the Human order. On the far side of the room is Lord El-Melloi II, or less commonly known as Waver Velvet. His broken body was sitting upright against the wall, still conscience and defiant.

 _At least he remained true and loyal, unlike his treacherous peers of the Clocktower._

"You fools… Chaldea rescued the Human Order from incineration, gathered an army of Servants, and the first thing you do is betray one of the masters to grab a spare grail?"

"Like something so trivial matters Lord El-Melloi. Everything is permitted if it brings us closer to reaching the Root. Confiscate the Grail, quickly! We don't have much time before Da Vinci and the other Fujimaru master arrives!"

"That's Lord El-Melloi the Second you- Gah!"

Waver's protest was brutally interrupted as a magus kicks a wound at the side of his chest, knocking him down only to stomp on same wound, digging his heel in.

"I never liked you El-Melloi. You upstart plebeian, if only we had more time… I would have loved putting a sealing designation on you somehow."

Waver only glares at his tormentor, unwilling to give him the dignity of a response.

"Stop wasting time fool! The bounded field protecting the Grail is almost down, we need you to focus on transporting it."

" _ **Oh? WhO dEEmeD yOu WoRThY? WHo gAve YoU ThAt rIGHt?"**_

A dark, chilling malignant voice echoed throughout the room right as the bounded field faded. The Grail, once golden and pristine began to warp and tarnish. A vile black mud bubbled from within, spewing invisible curses and evil across the room. The treacherous magi froze in fear, unable to comprehend the pure weight of the concept of evil before them. Until finally, after several minutes had passed, one of the magi's curiosity finally overcame his fear.

"Who… no what are you?"

Malefic chuckling resounded throughout the room

" _ **I aM ThE WeigHT oF AlL Of yOUr sInS. ThE oRiGIn oF tHe HEro'S DeSPaiR. HAhAha… FOr sUcH 'wIse MeN' YoU ArE sUcH FoOLs."**_

The magus furrowed his brows in concern. Glancing at his still petrified peers he took a breath to collect himself and focused on the grail.

"Oh? And why do you say that, entity within the grail?"

" _ **TEn MiNUteS."**_

The magi's expressions changed to dumbfounded as they turned to glance at each other. Until they noticed the mounting horror of the magus who asked the initial question. Cold sweat dripping down his face, and trembling in fear, he finally spoke.

"The plan… 10 minutes was our window of opportunity. We are now at 11 minutes…"

Their apprehension swiftly turned to panic when the doors to the room were blown off the hinges, the cold stare of a white-blond haired, golden eyed, servant bearing down in them. The telling steps of her armor growing louder as she came closer, a flaming sword and flagpole bearing the motif of dragons materialized in her hands. In panic, the flung every spell in their possession, expended every mystic code. But before any could reach her, she simply spoke one phrase:

" **La Grondement Du Haine."**

The fools spent the last few agonizing moments of their lives in agony as they were punctured by spears and stakes and incinerated by hellfire. Their screams of agony ended in a short moment, yet for those who endured it, their torment seemingly lasted for an eternity. Their ashes fell gently to the ground.

Unconcerned, the servant briskly walked to Ritsuka and Mash, only to find their eyes bleak and dull. The light of life snuffed out. Trembling in rage the servant screams in fury as fire erupts around her. Yet all the heat and fury of those flames could not dry the tears of sorrow streaming from her eyes.

Lord El-Melloi II could only watch in sympathy, knowing full well the strength of bonds servants can make with their masters. Cursing, he attempted to push himself back up and back away from the flames, only to collapse from the pain of his wounds.

The noise caught the attention of the grieving servant, her gaze promising nothing but suffering.

"Oh? I missed one? Time to _**correct**_ that mistake."

He could only close his eyes, resigned to the whims of the griefstriken servant, until a most unlikely of sources spoke in his defense.

" _ **NoW, nOw JEaNne. nO nEeD To HArm thE oNE ThaT fELL DEfenDiNG MaSH aND mAsTEr. BEsiDeS. mASteR aND mASh CAn bE sAVeD. aT A cOSt."**_

Jeanne's flames receded back, her expressions morphing into one of desperate determination.

"Explain Angra Mainyu. **Now.** And stop hiding in the grail. Someone as weak as you should not be speaking as if they were some secret final boss in a game."

" _ **HEh, fInE."**_

Dark purple motes of light flicker out of the black mud of the grail, and floating above it, a faint image of a black haired servant appears, laying on his side. His tanned body is covered in black tattoos of glyphs and runs wearing at tattered red bandanna and waistcloth with black bandages.

" **I've always been an existence tied to the grail. It wasn't too hard to dive into it when I had my suspicions about those magi. Normally, a singularity grail isn't primed to grant a wish like a Fuyuki Grail, buuuut… with my knowledge of a Fuyuki Grail's inner workings I've modified this grail to operate like a corrupted one. I can grant wishes through destruction."**

"Good, then save Ritsuka and Mash. I don't care about the cost. Humanity owes its existence to them, so it should bear the price of this… _**betrayal.**_ "

Lord El-Melloi II shuddered at the sheer malice and disgust oozing from Jeanne as she spoke those words, and inwardly wished that perhaps it would have been better to have died before seeing the suffering to come.

Angra Mainyu preened at the desired wish. At long last, finally not being a just **useless** and **weak** servant, Angra closed his eyes in concentration, and willed the grail to overflow, its black mud teeming with All the World's Evils slowly oozing and inching its way towards Ritsuka and Mash, forming puddles of filth beneath their bodies. Slowly their veins began to bulge forth red with corruption as it worked its way in. But they did not rise.

" **Hm… that's not good. I can't raise them as they once were. If I were to bring them back, they'd be distorted by All the World's Evils. They'd be parodies and caricatures of their former selves. However… there is another option…"**

Jeanne narrowed her eyes at the bad news. Scowling she could barely contain the frustration in her voice.

"And what would THAT be?"

" **Reincarnation. They deserve to live again, but free from this mess. With enough sacrifices, I can tear open a hole and fling their souls to a different time to reincarnate. Perhaps they will make their way back to us, maybe not. Either way, it is better than letting them return to the swirl of the root and being born again in this shitty timeline."**

"How much of a sacrifice?"

" **A few million mundanes. Don't worry, I'll just spread the mud to collect it myself. You don't need to do a thing other than make sure no one interrupts me."**

"Do it."

"Now hold on just a moment! I cannot just allow this to happen!"

Despite being wounded, despite being on death's door, Lord El-Melloi II could not simply watch as an atrocity of such a degree be committed in front of him. Defiantly, he glared at the two servants of hatred.

 _Morality will not work against avengers. They hate humanity. No, I must buy time by appealing to their interests and logic. Perhaps then Da Vinci and the surviving Fujimaru master can make it back here in time._

"Arbitrarily killing millions people is wasteful, especially mages. What if you end up killing the mages who could make new bodies for Mash and Ritsuka if you preserve their souls? What would your other master say to you after such a slaughter? Do you believe he or Da Vinci would take this passively? Besides, Ritsuka and Mash paid a massive price to save humanity. Would you make their efforts, YOUR efforts all for nothing? Besides, proceeding along could get the Counter Force involved!"

Angra Mainyu smirked at the magus's words. Flippantly waving him off more black mud started to spew forth from the grail, slowly working its way towards the wounded magus. The wood and furniture of the room warping and burning from the corruption spreading

" **You argue your case well, but we know our masters far better than you. He will be disappointed in us yes, but he will accept and understand our decision to save Ritsuka. As for Counter Force, well a few million souls should cover London and the surrounding area. Hardly enough damage to invoke their interference."**

Angra Mainyu's gaze became piercing as he stared into Lord El-MelloI's eyes as he gave a sadistic grin. The mud now only millimeters away from touching him.

" **But you raise a good point though, there are some humans that should be spared, for their usefulness or for their innate nature. You should know all the ones worth sparing, and from your mind I'll see which ones they are."**

Panicking, he desperately tries to back away from the mud, only to remember he is already pressed against the wall. There is no way to escape the mud.

" **Don't worry Waver Velvet. I'll heal your wounds while I'm at it. I'll even minimize the corruption done to you. At most you'll just be in a bad mood every morning from the corruption. You'll still be able to enjoy life as you did before. Think of it as my gift to you for your honesty towards my master."**

Staring at the mud, he resigned himself to his fate.

"You'll heal me but you can only grant wishes through destruction correct? So gaining my knowledge and healing me is going to hurt like hell isn't it?"

" **Yes. But it will be a one time affair. For what it's worth, sorry."**

"Well, at least I can say my actions saved a few at least."

Closing his eyes once more, he took a deep breath, before screaming in agony as the mud surged forth and enveloped him. It entered his wounds, and circulated through his veins, healing him as it pried pictures, names, locations and artifacts to be spared.

Turning his attention away from the Magus, Angra Mainyu faced Jeanne, now knee deep in mud that flowed out of the room but desperately holding on to the bodies of her dear friends. Wryly smiling at the scene, he spoke up.

" **Hah, if only your previous self could see you now. Did you overcome your hatred of humanity?"**

Glaring at Angra Mainyu, Jeanne pulled the bodies towards the center of the room, unwilling to risk them being swept away by the mud or being damaged by the now raging fires around them as the building burned.

"No, I still hate humanity. They sin, they betray and in all honestly, I think they should burn. But… there are humans like Ritsuka and master that deserve to live. People that love me despite being a monster. Even though they knew it would hurt them, they didn't want to leave me alone. They… are worth saving."

Angra Mainyu could only give a sympathetic smile, which soon turned bitter when he noticed Jeanne was passively using her aura to protect the bodies of Ritsuka and Mash from the weight of All the World's Evils. With great reluctance, he finally spoke.

" **You need to stop protecting the bodies. I can only grant wishes through destruction. If you want me to save their souls without corrupting or damaging them, you need to let my nature take its course and desecrate the bodies. Let abandoned flesh pay the price instead of the souls."**

Hesitantly, Jeanne complied with the order and let go. Averting her gaze, she mercifully avoided seeing the bodies be consumed and destroyed by the curses of the mud. But she still heard the screams and suffering of the mundanes, suddenly caught in a disaster surpassing that of the Fuyuki Fire of other timelines. London burned, and soon became a hellscape worthy of the apocalypse. But she didn't care. It was their fault for betraying her, for betraying Chaldea.

* * *

After an hour of suffering spreading throughout Britain, the screams around the Clocktower and the Grail began to die down. All those that were not chosen to be spared had already expired. Only the steady cackle of flames resounded throughout the land, besides the occasional rumble of collapsing buildings. Lord Melloi II was sleeping restlessly after his ordeal, his face scrunched up in agony but not making a sound. Jeanne merely looked out into the distance, not making a sound while Angra Mainyu allowed himself to fully fade back into the grail to manage the mud more directly and ensure precision for the areas and people that needed to be spared. The tense silence continued for hours more until finally Angra Mainyu emerged back from the grail.

" **Almost done. Mash and Master's souls are safe and pristine while the sheer number of mundanes and magi sacrificed is enough to open rifts through time and space and kickstart the incarnation process. Just need another town or two for an extra bit."**

Jeanne finally reacted and moved from her silent vigil. Her brow raised in annoyance, she glared at Angra Mainyu.

"What **extra bit**?"

"Oh, a reward for you as well as insurance."

"Explain."

Angra Mainyu wore a smug grin before waving his finger in a teasing fashion.

" **Now now Jeanne, your 'senpai' may be weak but he's most certainly reliable in situations like these. Oh and yes, I did hear you back in Chaldea when you first saw how weak I was. You were nowhere near as quiet as you thought you were."**

Jeanne's eyes widened briefly before averting her eyes and grimacing lightly in embarrassment.

" **Your lack of subtly aside, there is no guarantee that my Master and Mash will have a safe childhood. And even if they do, how can they make their way back to us if they chose to without a guide? The best bet would be to send someone to watch over them, but we are the only two servants available. Your master is with Da Vinci, most probably retreated back to Chaldea to figure out what happened. I cannot go because without me to restrain the Grail, the Counter Force WILL become involved."**

With that Jeanne's face became conflicted, indecision evident in her eyes.

 _I want to go with Ritsuka and Mash, but I cannot leave my Master behind. Sigh, if only I could manage the Grail so Angra Mainyu could follow his master._

Wistfully smiling, Angra Mainyu easily saw through Jeanne's thoughts. Waiting for a moment, he coughed to regain her attention and continued.

" **Therefore the best option would be to send you… but you will not leave your Master. Despite all that we have done today, he will need you to help him through his grief of losing Mash and his sister. So… while I was in the Grail I might have tapped into the Throne of Heroes to study it for a moment."**

"You… what?"

" **Heh… well, I noticed this problem about an hour and a half ago so while rummaging through El-Melloi's mind… So I kinda used about ¼ of London and a nearby town to give me enough time to observe the Throne of Heroes and might have made an imitation of the summon heroic spirit process?"**

"What."

Smiling bashfully Angra Mainyu closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head. All the while Jeanne continued to look at him dumbfoundedly.

" **What can I say? He wanted to meet Rider again so he studied the hell out of the process. Regardless, I'm going to make a copy of you and attach you to my Master. Once my Master is ready she should be able to summon you… I think. Not 100% sure how it will work, but better than having no insurance at all."**

Sighing, Jeanne pinched the bridge of her nose and began to rub her temples.

"I must have somehow been converted to a berserker class by your mud earlier. Only under madness enhancement should I even be considering listening to this hair brained scheme let alone going along with it."

" **So I have your permission? Don't worry, you are still an Avenger. Not like my mud adding hatred to your already infinite amount of hatred will do anything to you."**

"Hah… just do it and be done with it."

Wasting no time, black mud from the Grail briefly doused Jeanne. Flinching in disgust she starts patting and swatting it off her.

" **Good, I made a copy of you, sending them over… now!"**

At his words, a rainbow colored rift appeared beside them, 2 motes of golden untainted energy, and one purple-blackish mote flew into the rift before it closed.

" **There, we've done all we can. I'm going to use the leftover energy to teleport you and Lord El-Melloi II here to Chaldea. Da Vinci and your master should be able to figure something out. I'll stay here to safeguard the Grail."**

Nodding, Jeanne walks over to the unconscious magus and flung him over her shoulder. Briefly looking around to see if anything was dropped, she nods one more time to Angra before he teleports them away.

Taking a deep breath, Angra Mainyu finally allowed himself to rest. Fading back into the Grail to sleep, his thoughts wandered to his now estranged master.

 _Master… I hope I made the right choice today. You've been gone for only a few hours and it hurts. And to think before I once believed I endured every pain, every hardship imaginable. Pain is the foundation of my being. But around you… I felt better. Sometimes I wondered if this is how normal people felt. How_ _ **I**_ _was supposed to feel if I wasn't martyred in the past. But now… now I feel so empty, and hurt… I just hope your next life is good, you deserve it. After all, you did for me what no one else could… you eased my burdens, if only for an instant._

Closing his eyes, he astralized and entered the Grail, with only a single tear falling to the burnt earth below.

* * *

"Akeno… Akeno… wake up… Didn't you want to meet your new family members?"

"Hmm?"

A 4 year old Akeno groggily sits up, rubbing her eyes. Her father, Baraqiel knelt next to her, gently shaking her shoulders to wake her from the pleasant shackles of her dreams.

"Your baby sisters are here."

The moment those words registered in her mind, Akeno shot up and bolted down the hallway to the room her mother was in. Laughing at his daughter's excitement, he briskly walked along not to be left behind.

Entering the room, Akeno found her mother sitting in bed with two baby girls sleeping in her arms. Unsure on what to do, she kept her distance until her mother smiled and motioned with her head to come closer. Walking quietly Akeno inched forward to her new sisters and smiled at their peaceful faces.

"Say hello to your imoutos Akeno, Ritsuka and Nozomi."

"Hi sisters…"

Smiling gently and waving, it was a peaceful scene… until Baraqiel could no longer contain his emotions.

"Himejima Ritsuka and Himejima Nozomi… what beautiful names!"

He boomed in a loud voice, manly tears of joy streaming from his face. Unfortunately said booming voice awoke and terrified the new additions to the family and thus, they both began crying.

Both Akeno and her mother Shuri both gave him an exasperated glare at his foolishness. Looking abashed he picked up little Nozomi and gently rocked her in his arms, cooing all the while to calm her down while Shuri did the same for Ritsuka. Eventually calming down, the pair went back to a peaceful sleep.

Smiling, the family continued through the night, losing sleep through the selfishness of all newborn babies and their irregular schedules. Despite the hardships, the two were shown much love and affection, much to the approval of a gruff and grumpy tsundere spirit, watching unseen.

* * *

Author's notes

Heya peeps!

I know I said I'd be focusing on my Fire Emblem story first, but one day when I was bouncing ideas about future fics, this was one of 3 ideas people begged me to start writing immediately. Regardless, I'm still going to focus on my Fire Emblem story first, but I'll add to this story whenever I have the chance.

So any thoughts? I'll admit my knowledge of Fate mechanics aren't the best and I probably got some concepts a bit wrong, but I'd like to think it was passable if only for acting as the catalyst for this plot.

Oh, and Nozomi is Mash. Mash just didn't seem like a plausible name for the Himejima family.

Lastly, just out of curiosity, how do you think Akeno having two Imouto will change the story? :3

* * *

Editor's Notes (from his phone)

I came up with the name Mash now has, as "hope" was better than the generic-ass "light (Hikari, even if it isn't a bad name)" Kovaras belched up. Regardless, I goaded this because my existence decided it could live without it. So for those that know of our boi's past (or future) stories, Ryousuke will back at it again. Now excuse me while I go edit his response to these Editor's Notes.

Author's response: Hikari was a placeholder till I got back to you, lol. You always were better at figuring out names than me. (Seriously? Why do you love editing my responses?)


	2. Chapter 1: Innocence of Childhood

The Innocence of Childhood

 _Too much… this is just too much!_

Panting, Baraqiel tentatively peeked passed a doorway, looking for any sign of his hunter. Seeing the path clear, he turned off the lights and stealthily pressed forward, silently praying towards the god he betrayed that he would not be detected.

He had accomplished countless missions for the Grigori. He led battles against the Devils of the underworld and the loyal legions of Heaven. He has fought against foes that could effortlessly rend the heavens with ease and scorch the earth below. By his will alone, entire kingdoms could fall, with nary a mortal to stop him. But today… today he has met his match. Clutching his parcel close to his chest he prepared to change locations again, only to freeze when he heard the familiar sound of footsteps coming ever so closer.

Quietly sliding into the shadows of the room, he watched anxiously for his pursuer. Tensing as her shadow approached from the hall, he bit his lips to prevent himself from making a sound. His pursuer was small, a timid child hiding one of her eyes behind her black hair. But the light of her purple eyes, the purity of her form, it was too much for a fallen angel such as Baraqiel. Steeling himself, he closed his eyes to resist the purity of her pleas.

 _I will not fail you Shuri! Nozomi shall not receive her 3rd birthday present early! I just need to last one more hour… by then Shuri should have the party ready. Akeno is already keeping Ritsuka occupied… I cannot be the only one that fails! I must remain-_

*Hic!* "Papaaaaa! Where are you?" *Hic!* "I want present! Hug!"

*Urk!* Nozomi's pitiful pleas struck a chord in Baraqiel's heart. Shuddering, he slapped his cheeks to steel himself himself. Only to realize that he dropped the package by doing so and thus gaining the attention of his daughter. Watery eyes met closed eyes and for a moment there was an awkward silence. Opening her arms, tears starting to trickle down her face she broke Baraqiel's resistance with one word.

"H-hug?"

Uncaring of his dignity as a Grigori cadre and a father, he scooped up Nozomi and gave her a hug, much to her delight and giggles. The package was soon yielded to her as well.

* * *

"Geez Baraqiel… you can't say no to your daughters for an hour?"

Baraqiel could only hang his head in shame at Shuri's disappointment. But his heart was buoyed by the content squees and giggles of Nozomi sitting on his lap. She loved the stuffed animal, a white dog she affectionately named Fou. Ritsuka on the other hand was pouting about how Nozomi received her present early, crying "No fair!" All the while, Akeno could only pinch the bridge of her nose at her father's hopelessness.

"For one that insisted that we follow the western traditions of birthdays, you seemed to be the worst at adhering to them."

"Urk!"

Baraqiel cringed at his wife's words piercing words, hanging his head even lower in shame. Looking up, Nozomi noticed her father's despair. Unsure of why he would be so sad when there is a white doggie on her lap, she innocently tilts her head in confusion before lifting Fou to nuzzle her father. Gaining his attention she gives him a beaming smile

"Smile Papa! Fou!"

Crying manly tears of joy, Baraqiel flings his head back and clenching his fist he shouts to the heavens:

"So Adorable!"

Sighing at her husband's foolishness, she motioned for them to enter dining room, sparsely decorated for the occasion with 2 cakes with 3 lit candles each.

"Happy Birthday!"

Caught up in the excitement, the twins did not even wait for the song before bolting over and blowing out the candles. Bemused by their actions, Shuri decided to skip such 'traditions' and move along to eating sweets and watching Baraqiel's amusing antics while no one was paying attention to her. Smiling sadistically, she observed her family, privately noting each embarrassing bonding moment for future use. After all, it is a mother's prerogative to embarrass her husband and children at her leisure.

* * *

Jeanne d'Arc Alter is the embodiment of suffering, both in giving and receiving it. She was born from Gilles de Rais's grief, her memories and feelings born from the imaginings of a bereaved friend beside himself in grief and eventual madness. It had been a troubling revelation that all of her feelings, all of her bitterness was never actually her own. That her entire existence was nothing more than a forgery, a distorted imitation never meant to last more than one campaign, one battle…

And yet she still existed. Denying the reality that would reject her existence, she clung on to her sense of self, despite it originally being a sham. She mastered the art of perfecting forgeries to the point where it created a false singularity and created ever more fakes and convincing imitations. Using nothing but sheer passion to overcome the differences in skill, her works soon became nearly indistinguishable from the originals. Ultimately, she failed in her goal of becoming authentic. But in that failure she succeeded in becoming a legend, engraved into the hearts of her masters who later she found out spared no expense in summoning her to join their Grand Adventure.

This summoned Jeanne was something of a contradiction, a legitimate copy of an impassioned forgery. But she refused to let it define her. Instead, she sought to define herself in her own terms, to become her own person. This of course lead to many misadventures. Regardless, she enjoyed them much to her own embarrassment whilst hiding behind a mask of annoyance and self-proclaimed evil. And despite being summoned as an Avenger, an avatar of hate and revenge, she enjoyed the love of her masters, her friends, and her self-proclaimed sisters, the original Jeanne and her younger self, even if she could never properly express it.

She never regretted her decision to save Ritsuka, now her current master through reincarnation. But it was tedious, watching these family interactions for **3** years but being unable to interact. In a way, she felt like a family member that was being ignored by all the others. And at times, especially at night did she WISH that they knew she existed, especially Baraqiel and Shuri.

Jeanne quickly learned of their… habits a few months after the twins were born. During those days Jeanne watched the family like hawks, searching for any sign of abuse of neglect towards her master and friend. At first, it seemed as if it was a normal family, despite Baraqiel's suppressed aura that defined him as a non-human. But one night, after Shuri recovered from her pregnancy and the children were fast asleep, Jeanne heard noises coming from the mother's room. Curious and concerned, Jeanne entered the room in her astralized state. What she found could only be described in one phrase:

" _ **Absolutely Disgusting."**_

Never had she seen such a collection of ropes, chains, whips and assorted torture devices. Even Gilles lacked such a vaulted collection for his… 'art'. And they were being used to great effect, to the point where Jeanne wondered if the room was somehow connected to a singularity of Dante's Inferno. Fleeing immediately, she swore to **NEVER** come within a meter of that room at night. She was not intimidated by that kind of intimacy. No, she was merely insuring that Ritsuka and Mash did not see something so inappropriate so soon.

Truly.

It wasn't till later that she discovered Baraqiel's status of a fallen angel, which made the scene she saw that night all the more poetic, if not less disturbing.

But on that day, the 3rd anniversary of Ritsuka's and Mash's reincarnation, Jeanne swore to increase that distance to 5 meters after seeing that smile on Shuri's face. Even as an unabashed sinner, she had no desire to see the next level of hell.

But not all was terrifying on that day. Seeing Mash finally treated not as a lab animal like the staff of Chaldea did in years past, but instead enjoying the love and affection of those that saw her as family was uplifting, even for one tainted in hatred. And most heartening was what Ritsuka desired for her birthday. A stuffed dragon in the image of **her** Fafnir of the Orleans singularity. A dragon that represented her if, in a chibified manner.

Jeanne smiled softly at the sight, at the thought that even if they can no longer remember, they still desired the friends they made in Chaldea.

* * *

That night, Akeno found herself snacking on dangos she had saved from the celebration earlier that day. It had been a small but rambunctious affair. None of her cousins were able to make it, but several such as Suzaku sent cards and well wishes. Surprising really, seeing how most of the family were staunch traditionalists and were against new, fun things.

Finishing the last dango, Akeno started to walk back to her room, ignoring the sounds coming from her parents room. " _It looks like Mama was punishing Papa again,"_ she thought. " _He makes mistakes all the time."_ Before reaching her room though, she noticed that her siblings' room was open. Peering inside, she saw that once again Nozomi snuck out of her bed. Walking back to her room, she found her errant sibling sitting on her bed, holding Fou and waiting expectantly for her.

 _Geez… that girl really struggles to sleep alone…_

Ever since she learned how to walk, Nozomi would never sleep alone in her own bed. She would either slip into Akeno's bed, their parent's room, or most frequently, Ritsuka's bed. Tonight it seemed, was her turn. Sighing briefly before adopting a bemused smile, she nodded at her little sister who beamed in joy and went under the sheets. The little bundle of joy was hugging her tightly once she slipped into bed.

Petting her sister's black hair, Akeno was rewarded with seeing her sister's peaceful face as she fell as sleep. Her eyelids growing heavy, reflections on her family came unbidden.

 _Hah… things have changed so much since my little sisters came. Papa used to be so distant, but now he's a hopeless, slightly more loveable goofball, especially when Nozomi is involved. Before he used to be gone for days at a time. When I asked before, he said he had to help a friend for some jobs. But now he's rarely gone for a whole day. He smiles a lot more too._

Closing her eyes, she felt little Nozomi nuzzling her chest, enjoying the warmth of her older sister.

 _I swear, they are nothing like what Suzaku and my other cousins said little siblings are. They aren't bratty, selfish or dumb. Nozomi loves to share. If she thinks you want it too, she's the first to pass it to you. Even if she doesn't get to play, she's always happy just from being around others, especially Ritsuka and Papa._

 _Ritsuka on the other hand loves to explore, and drag others into it, especially poor, timid Nozomi. Oddly enough, when a terrible monster (a spider) or a demon (a cockroach) would appear, it's Nozomi that reacts first, standing between her sister and the terrible creature (a cricket), with trembling, puffed cheeks until she starts crying, summoning a (fallen) angel (her father) to smite the malicious entity (a fly)._

 _Ritsuka also loves to collect, as she hoards anything and everything that interests her or seems important from her adventures. She's always willing to share, but you always have to ask first. Gods, the tantrums she had when she thought someone took something without telling her…_

Smiling at that memory, Akeno followed her sister into the realm of dreams…

* * *

A content sigh escapes from Shuri after an… intense session with her husband. The pair of deviants lay content in each others arms, with Baraqiel already fast asleep. Snuggling next to her husband, her thoughts drifted towards her family.

 _Are fallen angels really that bad if they are so good to their spouses and their spawn are so well behaved? Akeno, Ritsuka, and Nozomi are the most positive, cheerful, and good natured children I have ever met. Yes they have their occasional tantrums and selfish moments, but compared to their cousins they are incredibly polite and mature._

 _Maybe that's why things have been improving between us and Himejima clan. Ever since Ritsuka and Nozomi were born, tensions have died down. Baraqiel no longer has to stay afield for long periods of time because the support the Himejima clan now gives to the Grigori. With them acting as eyes and ears for the region, Baraqiel can stay deal with regional Grigori and Himejima issues within a day and return in time to tuck the children in. Although, I hear that it is causing a great amount friction between the Himejima clan head, and leader of the traditionalists, and the progressive faction, whose key figure head is now Himejima Souta, his favorite son._

 _And with my more progressive sisters coming to visit with their children more often, Akeno is finally forming tighter bonds with her cousins besides Suzaku. Maybe… just maybe, the Himejima family can finally move on past its ancient traditions and accept all if its children, even the ones with fallen blood…_

 _Souta… I hope you succeed in convincing uncle to change his ways._

With the prospects of a better future closer to being realized, Shuri closed her eyes, hoping to see it play out in her dreams.

* * *

" _ **Himejima Souta."**_

"Yes, honored father?"

"What is the meaning of your actions? Why have you betrayed our family values! The Grigori are an aberration, filth that should not exist in our realm, much less in our family! Yet now you all but openly support their activities, subverting tradition and undermining our authority. **My authority.** Explain your **betrayal** son, and pray I find it worthy of mercy."

In the head household in the Himejima Clan, an infuriated Himejima Suou, current head of the Himejima clan summoned his former favorite son alone, for a private discussion. Suou was standing, face flushed with rage as he berated his sitting son, who held a calm knowing smile all the while.

"But father, my actions do follow family traditions."

"Such insolence! Since when does consorting with such filth count as tradition! We protected Japan from beings such as them!"

"Ah, but father, you fail to see my purpose."

" **Purpose?** Explain. **Now.** "

"Father, do you remember the stories of old? When powerful rogue oni and other demons ravaged the land that was too powerful for even our most experienced practitioners?"

"Yes, and?"

"And how did we defeat them father?"

"We delivered them wine under the pretense of tribute, and struck them down once they lowered their guard, but I fail to- Oh… Now I see. This is a dangerous game you play son."

Suou's expression slowly regain its normal regal calm, but his eyes betrayed a hint of agitation.

"Indeed honored father, but after the failure of the practitioners after Akeno's birth, we lacked any means to overcome Baraqiel's veritable strength. Originally, I was planning on using his long periods away from home to invite his enemies to his home, but with two additional children born, even the most hard-pressed Grigori is reluctant to call him away for any amount of time. Their numbers are few, and thus their children are to be cherished. Admirable were it not for their aberrant natures."

Nodding, Suou motioned for Souta to continue, the agitation of his eyes slowly morphing into intrigue and acceptance.

"So, like the Oni of old, we must force him to drop his guard. In this case, the alcohol is the perceived safety and reduced overt animosity of the Himejima clan. This infection will be cleansed in due time, but for now, why not use him to solve some of our problems? Some of the more hostile Youkai would be… costly to remove, as well as hunting down the rogue devils that flee their thrice damned war."

"So you plan to use him to our benefit, then ambush him?"

"That was my initial impulse, but I decided against it. In the slim chance he overcomes the ambush, we would enter open war with the Grigori, a most disadvantageous situation for us even in the best case scenario."

"So how do you plan to 'deal' with him then?"

"Send him to battle a mutual foe. A foe that may or may not have been warned in advance of his coming. A foe that by happenstance also learned the location of his family."

Nodding in agreement, the Family Head pours himself and his son tea before sitting back down.

"I can understand some of your actions to a degree at least my son, although I wish you would have informed me before hand. **However** , that does **NOT** excuse the fact that you have undermined my authority and with it, our clans unity."

"Ah, but father the clan was already fragmented over this matter even **before** I acted. I merely gathered all the malcontents under my banner. Where I can observe them, influence them, and ultimately prevent them from becoming treasonous. After all Honored Father, the ones that openly support my 'progressive stance' are not the only ones who harbor such heretical inclinations."

" **What.** "

Smiling, Souta reached into sleeve and produced a scroll and several letters written to him by other members of the clan. Suou, noting that they all bore the various seals of the clan's other branches, skimmed through their contents, sporting an ever darkening grimace as he continued.

"Indeed, instead of only 5% of the clan that has turned their backs on tradition, it is closer to 25%, with the number steadily rising over time. We are losing ground Father."

"Then what are you suggesting that we do son?"

Souta, noticing how his father had already forgiven him for his actions, sighed in relief before continuing.

"Using my position as my figurehead of the 'progressives', I can keep track of who truly believes in our traditions and those who are turning their backs to it. With my information, you can easily take steps to minimize the influence and efforts of the heretics. We won't be able to purge them completely. After all, human nature by default is rebellious. But we can minimize it to the point of being a non-factor. So then, when the opportunity is right, and we finally remove Baraqiel and his spawn, there will be no issue."

Closing his eyes, Suou took a deep breath to clear his mind. After several moments of silence, he finally spoke again.

"I do not approve of such duplicitous methods son."

"Neither did our ancestors in dealing with the Oni, but it had to be done."

"Very well, what is required of me for this plan of yours?"

"Nothing new, just continue to berate me and summon me for these 'debates' to make it seem as though we are truly at odds. The others will naturally assume the only reason why more harsh sanctions have yet to materialize is due to your former fondness of me."

"You do realize this path will bar you from becoming the next head correct?"

"Yes, but protecting our way of life is more important than my ambitions. One of my brothers will become the next head in my stead correct? As long as they are aware of my role and respect my sacrifice, I shall be content."

Upon hearing those words, Suou's eyes watered with sorrow and pride in his son. His wisdom, intellect and cunning would have served well as his successor. He would have had his name written down with the same honors as his predecessors and ancestors. His name should be treated with the same reverence and awe. Instead, he chose to walk a filthy path that besmirched his name and would ruin his reputation for generations to come.

All for the clan.

"Very well my son. Know that I am proud of you, even if now I can no longer afford to show it."

"Thank you honored father. Moments like this alone will be enough to sustain me."

Solemnly nodding, the pair drank their tea in silence. Sacrifices will be made, but all will be made right.

All for a better future.

* * *

Author's notes

Heya peeps!

After all those reviews and views, I felt compelled to make the next chapter here instead of my Fire Emblem fic. Still though, those first reviews. Within the first day half of the reviews were complaining about how I mentioned Gudao. Like seriously?! I wrote a holocaust level tragedy in Britain with **MILLIONS** of people dying brutal and painful deaths in an event worse than what EMIYA witnessed, but what bothered people was that I mentioned a character (Gudao) in passing for exposition? Geez, what does that say about your priorities? Lol

That aside, keep posting your thoughts in the reviews. Some of you guys (who I won't mention for fear of spoilers) had some decent ideas I'm actually considering using, albeit with modifications to fit the story.

This chapter is a bit on the short end, but if I didn't divide it here it would become too big of a monster for my editor. I don't feed him enough Ramen yet for me to warrant doing that to him… for now.

Right, time to write the prologues to the other fate stories some of y'all (including editor-kun) have been begging for. Geez I'm going to be busy for the next few years aren't I?

* * *

Editor Notes:

I honestly have no clue if any of you read the AN, let alone the EN, but if you do, kudos, for I shall remain in the shadow of the AN to give an insight to the author's lack of grace when it comes down to his writing. Hell, here I am editing the AN on my phone while I'm at it so he doesn't sound like a complete dunce. However, that won't stop his overweeb from leaking out or fixing his Gilgamesh complex.

Regardless, we're at your mercy, readers. You hold more power over the author than he let's you all believe. (Lies!)


	3. Chapter 2: Premature Awakening

Premature Awakening

 _I'm sorry Ritsuka…_

Jeanne could only look at the three black haired Himejima siblings in remorse. The three bundled together in a thick warm blanket, struggling to keep their purple eyes open, as they wait for their father to return on the front porch.

Baraqiel informed the family that he would be taking longer than normal that day, but the three decided to wait for their father to return to tuck them in that night. One by one, they fell asleep, hugging each other close for warmth while their mother was inside doing chores. First was Nozomi, clutching Fou and Akeno, nuzzling her sister for warmth. Then was Akeno herself, long since drained from acting the part of head of household that day. Lastly, Ritsuka realizing her defeat was inevitable, set her dragon, Faf-nee on the porch to act as their guard while she too succumbs to sleep.

The scene sank heavily in Jeanne's heart, knowing in a moment she will turn their sweet dreams into a traumatic nightmare. Sighing in remorse, she focused inwardly once more, hoping that she was wrong the first few times.

No.

No she was not.

Grimacing, she looked at the peaceful faces of siblings. Akeno was 8 years old, Ritsuka and Nozomi, 4. Far too young for Ritsuka to safely activate her magic circuits.

 _But I have no choice… when Angra Mainyu sent us over, he gave me years worth of prana to maintain my existence plus extra to serve as an emergency guardian should anything happen. Normally, I would be able to last for 10 years with enough to fight one serious battle. But now… I won't last 6 years at this rate and 4 have already passed._

Bitterly, she shifts her gaze to the various wards and shrines placed within the home. Her hatred was boiling and contradicting itself. The protection wards harm her so destroy it, but it protects Ritsuka so destroy all that threatens it. Shaking her head, she again focuses back upon her dilema.

 _How could I have not realized that a Shrine would have bounded fields to ward and destroy wayward spirits? I took my Magic Resistance for granted. Although it is at EX, it merely prevents magic and spells from reaching me, it does not actually negate or block the spell. And here, inside a permanent bounded field meant to dispel me, I have stayed continually for four years. It was bound to affect me eventually. Instead of draining 1 point of mana a day to exist, I had to use 2. Unnoticeable at first, but the effects pile up. If I don't do something soon…_

Spreading her senses out, she felt Shuri preparing a snack for Baraqiel when he returns, and in a distance, she sees the familiar black wings gliding back home.

 _Good, they will be in position to help Ritsuka through this. Forgive me master, I will do my best._

Placing her astralized hand upon Ritsuka's back, she forced her prana into the child, forcefully attempting to open her magic circuits. Ritsuka screamed in pain, her body spasming in pain as she knocked her siblings away. Rudely awakened, Akeno and Nozomi looked on in annoyance before panicking, calling for their mother. Shuri hearing the commotion, ran outside to see her daughter suffering in complete agony.

 _Damn, I didn't expect it to be this bad. EMIYA wasn't kidding that manipulating circuits without skill would be painful and dangerous. Oh shit, Ritsuka's heart rate is going too high, I have to hurry and finish before this kills her!_

"Gaaaaaaaah! Mom! Da- Gaaaaaaah!"

Ritsuka's body became flush red as her body began to burn, her clothes drenched in sweat as her body desperately attempts to cool down. Trembling, Ritsuka reached out towards her mother, only for her body to betray her efforts with massive painful spasms. Her breaths hitching and becoming more shallow each time.

 _I can sense some of the circuits opening, but at the cost of those massive spasms… Dammit Shuri, start healing Ritsuka already! She won't last the 17 more needed at this rate!_

Jeanne could only grimace in fear as she silently hoped for a miracle to make things right. Hating herself, she pressed on, swearing to herself she would do all she can to amend for this wrong.

* * *

Shuri knew something was wrong the moment she heard Akeno and Nozomi shout, pleading for her to come. But what she found was beyond her wildest fears. Her daughter, Ritsuka was spasming on the ground, her face contorting in pure agony as something afflicted her. Panicking from the sheer suddenness of of the crisis, Shuri found herself rooted to the doorway, wasting for a few precious moments she stood silent, and unmoving as she attempted to comprehend the scene before her. It wasn't until Akeno tugged on her arm did she snap out of it.

 _What am I doing? What kind of mother just_ _ **watches**_ _as their child suffers?_

Shaking her head in self-admonishment, she ran over to the spasming and screaming Ritsuka, carefully sifting her energies through the child to sense the source of the maleficence. Her eyes widening on horror as she determined the source.

 _An angry spirit is attacking the soul of_ _ **my child!?**_ _How?! This shrine is covered in wards and barriers to purify and cleanse evil spirits. To overcome all of those just to attack my daughter… No, investigations come later, right now all that's important is saving my child._

Her eyes narrowing in determination, she began filtering her own energy into Ritsuka, to obstruct and push back against the invading spirit.

"Akeno! Fetch the talismans and the ofuda! Nozomi, grab the ritual salt! Hurry!"

The sisters nervously nod before running into the house, their panicked steps echoing through the house. Baraqiel, who was leisurely gliding back, noticed the sudden panic of his family and dove at breakneck speed, before landing in front of his wife and child.

"Shuri, what is happening?!"

"A spirit somehow overcame the shrine's protections and is attacking Ritsuka. Call the Grigori! I don't know if I can save Ritsuka alone! Hurry!"

His face paling, Baraqiel pulled out a phone and flew a small distance away, his normally stoic voice containing hints of panic. Shuri could barely make out the names Azazel and Penemue, but she could hardly care less. Devoting all of her energy into Ritsuka, she pushed against the spirit.

 _I may not overcome you spirit, but I will not let you harm my child unopposed!_

* * *

 _Idiotic bitch!_

Jeanne found herself cursing profusely despite no others being able to hear her. A frustrated grimace forming on her face when she realized Shuri was using her energy to defend the areas she had not reached yet instead of healing the damage.

 _She's treating me like an infection! Trying to quarantine the affected areas before treating them. She's actually blocking and slowing down my efforts to access the remaining circuits instead of treating the ones that have been opened. Now the activated circuits are overheating! Dammit! Dammit!_ _ **DAMMIT!**_

Panic began to overwhelm the servant of hate, has she desperately tried to use brute force and even more of her power to overcome Shuri's defenses. As the struggle went on, she unwittingly began tapping into her more malefic prana, traces of her hellfire seeping into the circuits.

Ritsuka screams reached an even higher pitch as her body burned from within. Her body wracked with an ever intensifying fever. Shuri could only grimace has her strength waned. Her breaths were uneven, her body drenched in sweat from the exertion of staving off the 'spirit's' power.

"Mom, we have the stuff!"

"Akeno, set up the talismans and Ofuda for an purification ritual. Nozomi, sprinkle the blessed salt on Ritsuka!"

Diligently the pair followed Shuri's instructions, and as the salt touched Ritsuka's body, the faith imbued into them by believers took effect, pushing back against the malefic spirit. Seeing the spirit stymied, Shuri began diverting some of her energy into stabilizing Ritsuka. Ever so slightly, Ritsuka's suffering eased as the invading mana retreated against the healing pulse.

 _The spirit's influence in receding? But it is still pushing hard against me… What kind of spirit so easily cedes ground to healing and purification. It would make possession impossible. Wait… possession isn't the goal. It's plundering. It's trying to siphon something away from Ritsuka! It isn't opposing my healing because it already has plundered what it desired from Ritsuka. Do I let it continue and focus on healing Ritsuka? No… whatever it is plundering may be essential. I will not yield my child, or ANY part of her to you!_

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she spoke softly to Akeno who was nearly finished with arranging the ritual.

"Akeno, I have taught you the basics of spiritual healing. Once you are done, help me treat Ritsuka."

"Yes mother!"

"What about me Mom?"

"Go to your father and ask if he needs any help, more people will be coming soon to help us and we need to be prepared."

"Ok Mom!"

Jeanne's face scrunched up in annoyance as the battle between herself and Shuri reached the next phase.

 _Only 7 more circuits to go. About time they started healing Ritsuka. I had to weaken the amount of prana I pushed into Ritsuka but they are finally getting the idea of maybe TREATING Ritsuka instead of just resisting me. Tsk, what a balancing act…_

With the purification talismans and ofuda in place, Shuri began filtering her depleted power through them, relying on its strength rather than her own hastily made protections within Ritsuka. Panting from the exertion, she none less kept her focus, slowing the entity's pace to but a trickle while Akeno, pale from the effort at such a young age nods confidently towards her mother.

 _We will make it._

* * *

The tense stalemate endured for an entire hour, with Ritsuka sporting a fever and groaning in pain from the struggle, but no longer at risk of imminent death. The interval between spasms increased each time, with less noise from Ritsuka. But Shuri and Akeno would not relent, for they could not tell if it was because their efforts were succeeding, or if Ritsuka's strength was fading. The grim atmosphere was interrupted by a cohort of Fallen Angels, led by Azazel.

"I came as fast as I could organize everyone. Penemue check on the child. Dohnaseek, you grab the other 2 winged angels and saturate this area in light. I want whatever demonic entity attacking our kin to feel the weight of our presence. Baraqiel, you grab whoever is free and scout the area. See if anyone is attempting to use magic or a curse."

"Yes sir!"

Without hesitation, the angels followed their assigned tasks, with Azazel walking with Penemue to the child. Kneeling the pair studied the child, and the various energies fighting for supremacy within.

 _Fascinating, all these different kinds of energies. I can feel Shuri's and Akeno's shrine maiden abilities working their way through Ritsuka, with Akeno's being bolstered by her light of a Fallen Angel. And this malefic energy… its not of a devil or a demon. It doesn't even feel like any spirit I have seen before. And this new energy… if feels like raw magic, and it is coming from Ritsuka herself._

Narrowing in concentration, Azazel focused on the pathways of the energy. Watching carefully, he observed when the malefic energy overpowered a layer of Shuri's defenses and reached a part of the body which seemed like nerve, and forced its way through. Ritsuka would then spasm and cry out in pain, but more importantly, that pseudo nerve started generating that raw magic. Looking at Penemue, she nods as they have reached the same conclusion.

"Shuri, Akeno, stop resisting the spirits advance. Focus everything you have left on healing Ritsuka."

"What?! I will not allow this spirit to do as it pleases!"

"At the cost of Ritsuka's life!? Whatever this spirit's plan is, it involves Ritsuka being able to generate mana independently. It's not attacking her soul. Either we force it out entirely, which would kill Ritsuka from the sheer amount of power required to flow through her, or we let this spirit finish and do what we can to ensure Ritsuka endures."

Grimacing, Shuri glared at Azazel in frustration, before the pained moans of Ritsuka drew her attention. After a moment of hesitation, she abandoned her attempts to impede the spirit and with Akeno, focused on treating Ritsuka.

"If you are wrong, I will **never** forgive you."

Nodding in acceptance, Azazel gave a pointed glance at Penemue, who also added her own light towards the efforts to save the child. All the while Azazel carefully observed the flow of energy, looking for hints to the identity of this mysterious assailant.

* * *

 _Finally! I can finish this off quickly. Hold on Ritsuka, only 2 more to go. I think I got the hang of this now, so I'll do it all at once!_

Forcing her prana into Ritsuka with on final wave, Jeanne sighed in relief as the final circuits opened and allowed prana to gush forth. Noting her work was complete, Jeanne completely cut the flow of prana into Ritsuka, whose spasms and trembles subsided as the remnants of Jeanne's power was purged out from her body. Still flushed red from a fever, Ritsuka's breathing slowly began to stabilize. She was still deathly ill, but now at least, her suffering was ending, and Jeanne could feel a trickle of prana from her master slowly restoring her reserves.

Smiling remorsefully, she patted her master's head with her astralized hand.

 _You did well Master… Thank you for not dying… and leaving me alone again. I'll make this up to you, I swear._

Sensing that the spirit retreated, Shuri and Azazel breathed a sigh of relief. Finally allowing herself to rest, Shuri collapsed onto the floor, much to the distress of her children. Terrified that something bad is now happening to her mother, Nozomi hugged her mother tightly, pleading and crying, "No mama, don't be sick!" while Akeno, in her exhausted state could only watch in concern. At such a scene, the remaining fallen angels stared at Azazel to speak up. Sighing in annoyance, he scratched the back of his head while speaking.

"Now now girls, your mother is ok. She's just really tired. All that Shrine Maiden stuff she did really took a lot out of her. She'll be fine after she gets some rest."

Noting the anxiety in Nozomi's face, Azazel sighed again, thinking of anything that could make the child more at ease.

 _Well, keeping them busy might do the trick._

"Nozomi, do you want to help your mom feel better?"

Nodding emphatically, Nozomi looked at Azazel with pleading eyes. Azazel motioned Dohnaseek to lower himself from the skies and approach.

"Your mother and older sister are extremely tired from saving Ritsuka, so can you show Dohnaseek here where you keep all the drinks? Getting some tea or water will help your mother recover faster."

Dohnaseek raised his brow in annoyance but complied, but as he walked past Azazel he heard him speak softly.

"Keep your guard up, whatever attacked the child is still here."

Dohnaseek's eyes widened for a moment before nodding seriously and narrowing his eyes, expecting a possible ambush around every corner. With the two inside, Azazel began inspecting the surroundings, attempting to find any deficits, any flaws in the spiritual defenses of the shrine that could have allowed a spirit to enter.

Moments later, Dohnaseek returned with Nozomi, passing around cold drinks to the lingering Fallen Angels and the Himejima family. Azazel nodded in acknowledgement, but continued studying the defenses of the shrine.

 _Nothing is wrong, the only places with better spiritual defenses are head temples and famous shrines… and some of these are warning barriers that haven't been triggered, save for when I and the fallen angels arrived. So when did it…_

Widening his eyes in apprehension, he immediately flew to the resting Ritsuka. Ignoring the startled reactions of everyone around them he placed a hand over the chest of Ritsuka and once more checked the flow of energy.

 _Interesting... Ritsuka is constantly leaking out energy, but instead of dissipating into the air, it vanishes after travelling a few feet away from her. But wait… the direction changes ever so slightly, it is almost as if it is a tether. By the Father… the spirit is using Ritsuka as an anchor for its existence. And the fact that none of the intruder barriers were triggered… the spirit was here the entire time. At least for 2 years now._

Caught up in his own thoughts, Azazel ignored Baraqiel who returned with the other fallen as well as all of Penemue's inquiries on to his actions. Instead he double checked the purification wards and barriers of the shrine, and quickly calculated the strength of the aura, including that of the light currently bathing the area from his own angels.

"Ultimate class at least…"

"Azazel?"

The fallen and the awake Himejima members stare at Azazel in concern. Snapping out of his contemplative state, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Oh Baraqiel! When did you and the others get back?"

"Half an hour ago. You've been ignoring everyone for an hour from what I've heard. And what the hell do you mean 'ultimate class at least'!?"

Azazel flinched at the unnatural agitation in his friend's voice. Coughing briefly into his hand, he attempted to regain his aura of command.

"The strength of the spirit that attacked your daughter. All the shrine's protections remain in place and are undamaged. The warning wards were triggered only when we Grigori arrived. Meaning the spirit has been here since at least before the wards were replaced. So it has been here, for **years**."

His audience, both Grigori and Himejima cringed at the thought, with Penemue's eyes widening at the implications.

"Azazel doesn't that mean…"

"Yes, it endured the raw purification power of this shrine this entire time without ever leaving for relief. For a spirit to endure for that long, it must at minimum be as powerful as an ultimate class devil, probably even more so."

With his words, the Grigori immediately went on their guards, warily pushing their senses to their limits to detect such a powerful foe. In such a tense atmosphere, Shuri finally stirred.

"Impossible… why would something that strong want to harm my daughter…"

She turned to Azazel, her eyes pleading for this to be a cruel joke.

 _Please, don't make this Shrine where I am bound by oath to be a death trap for my children._

"In all honestly, I don't believe it wanted to harm your daughter, not directly at least."

Remembering the agony her daughter was just in, her gaze hardened in hatred. A murderous aura began leaking out behind her.

"It didn't want to harm my daughter? Then what do you call the _**past few hours**_."

Flinching at sudden change, both Azazel and Baraqiel found themselves cringing. Quickly calming himself, he took a deep breath before coughing briefly into his hand.

"I believe it was trying to awaken your daughter's powers and tether its' existence to her. While I was examining your daughter during the struggle, I observed what it was doing. It was forcing power into some of her nerves, and afterward those nerves started generating raw magical power. Its siphoning the excess energy leaking away towards itself."

"So my daughter is being used a battery or a renewable crop to feed it. I fail to see how that is supposed to make me feel **any** **better**."

"The fact that you have a better understanding the situation makes it easier to make the right decisions. That's better than guessing randomly in the dark and hoping you are lucky."

Sighing in frustration, Shuri turned to look at Ritsuka, sleeping restlessly as she tossed and turned, her face still flushed from a fever. Looking on in sympathy, Azazel looked into Penemue's eyes and after an unspoken conversation, she nodded in consent.

"Everyone, our job is done here! We are heading back!"

At her words, the Grigori sans Azazel and Baraqiel reluctantly took to the skies and flew back.

"Sorry, but those are my observations. If I have your's and Baraqiel's permission, I'd like to come over periodically with Penemue to study this phenomenon. Perhaps I may be able to discover a solution."

"You aren't going to experiment on her are you?"

"No, anything I or Penemue will be done with your consent. And of course that will be after we explain everything, including possible benefits and potential risks of those actions."

She gazed into his eyes, searching for any sign of deceit. Seeing none, she sighed before reluctantly nodding. Upon seeing his wife consent, Baraqiel nodded in acceptance as well.

"Good, for now I would recommend getting the girl cleaned up. Ritsuka is soaked in her sweat and it's already cold out here. At this rate she'll get the chills on top of the fever. Baraqiel, you're the one in best condition, and I don't think it's appropriate for me to..."

Nodding in understanding, Baraqiel picked up his daughter and led the others inside for a much needed rest.

* * *

 _Fire… I'm on fire!_

Ritsuka opened her eyes to see herself tied to a stake, the flames slowly consuming her vision. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not break free. All around her was a jeering mob, calling her a witch all the while a fat cardinal watched from a far, chuckling at her suffering.

"Oh Jeanne, my sweet Jeanne… why do you passively allow yourself to suffer? Why do you ignore such evils to be inflicted upon you? How can you stand such _**treachery**_ after all that you sacrificed?"

The images of the countless masses she saved echoed throughout her mind, so grateful when she arrived, only to turn into contempt as one by one they turned their backs to her, the image of gold passing into their hands. One by one, they walked away, leaving her alone. Until there was only one man. He looked the part of a knight, until it morphed into that of an insane jester, one playing the role of a mage.

"I will not abandon you my Jeanne! No matter how twisted I must become to remain by your side!"

Tentacles of monsters burst forth from the crowd, tearing them to pieces, while wrapping themselves around the fat cardinal before he could flee. The odd mage then appeared before her, quenching the flames and untying her with utmost care. Guiding her over to the captured cardinal, she ignored the stench of his soiled robes.

"I beg you, mercy!"

"Silence knave! A blasphemer and a hypocrite such as yourself does not even deserve to look at Jeanne, much less speak to her!"

With a wave of his hand, the monsters obeyed, forcing a tentacle down his throat to silence him. Looking reverently at Ritsuka, he bowed respectfully.

"Oh Jeanne, what would be your judgement be upon this most unworthy swine?"

Her lips moved unbidden, her words not her own.

"God's judgment of course. Were you not the one who said God will save his own? I survived the trial, let's see if you can."

With a snap of her fingers, fire erupted from the ground, the man's muffled screams sounding like music to her ears. Smiling as he died, she couldn't help but comment.

"My my, what does it say about God's thoughts on you Cardinal, when the tentacle monster is unharmed, while you were burned to ashes?"

"Hahahaha! Such artistic beauty my Jeanne! What shall we do next!"

The look of joy and excitement on his face was contagious. Ritsuka soon found herself smiling as well. She felt… liberated. Looking at the now burning city around her, one thought came into mind.

"What, my dear friend? Isn't it obvious? We shall give the entire world his judgement. Shall my flames of vengeance prove righteous? Let us see if **ANY** survive."

Together with her only loyal friend, she walks out of the burning city, humming along to the screams of its denizens as flames and dragons descend upon them all.

France awaits!

* * *

Gasping, Ritsuka shoots up in fear. Looking around, she sees an unfamiliar man sitting next to her bed, holding equipment that wouldn't look out of place in a laboratory, or a hospital. His eyes widen in surprise, but he soon smiled in relief.

"Well, I wasn't expecting my new equipment to be so scary that its mere presence would shock a coma patient out of it. Well, wait here Ritsuka, I'm certain your family will be happy to see that you are finally awake."

As soon as he left the room, Ritsuka looked around, noting that it was her room, but now there were flowers arranged all over it, alongside well wishing cards. At the foot of the bed was the strange man's equipment, and with it tubes that connected her arm to it. And sitting at her side was the ever loyal Faf-nee, eternally vigilant. Her observations were interrupted when family, beside themselves in relief ran over to her side, hugging her tightly.

"Can't… breathe…"

Smiling wryly at the scene, the odd man came to her rescue, gently tugging the her family members away, with a certain mother being the most determined to hang on.

"Ah, I know you are glad at seeing your daughter awake Shuri, but I doubt you want to put her back into a coma."

Reluctantly, she did release her daughter when she noticed the shades of blue on Ritsuka's face becoming more prominent. After a few moments to catch her breath, Ritsuka looked around inquisitively.

"Mom, Dad, what's going on? Who is this?"

The family looked at each other uneasily, unsure of how to answer. Seeing there hesitation, the odd man decided to speak for them.

"I am Azazel, leader of the Grigori. Or in simpler terms, a friend of your dad and his boss. They called me over to help you after you… got sick. A spirit did something to you, and what exactly, is what we are still trying to figure it out. But it took its toll on you. You've been asleep for about 3 months now."

Ritsuka looked at the man oddly as if he was speaking gibberish, then glancing at her family, she looked to see if the outlandish things he was saying was the truth. Their sad gazes was her only reply. Looking down she noticed red markings appear briefly on her hands before it vanished. Looking up quizzically, she noticed that the man had no reaction. As if he did not see anything.

"Ah, I see you are having a hard time accepting it. Well… to prove this isn't a joke, here have a look at yourself in this mirror."

Ritsuka's now bronze eyes widened in shock. Gone was its former clear violet hue. And her hair was no longer solely black, instead it had streaks of vermillion, as if she had highlights. Her eyes watered at the thought that she would no longer fit in with her family. A fear that maybe she won't be as loved as she was before crept in, until Akeno, seeing her little sister's despair walked forward and grabbed her hand.

"Ritsuka is Ritsuka, my little sister. Even if her eyes are no longer the best color."

Smiling wryly at her sister's jab, Ritsuka felt at ease, as if things will be the same. But out of principle she still had to retort.

"You're just mad that I'm ready for Halloween."

To that Akeno had a sarcastic pitying smile.

"You've been asleep for three months, it passed already."

"Nooooo! I missed an event! All the things I could have collected!"

"Yep, she's back to normal."

 _Indeed she is, some things just never change, eh master?_

Everyone in the room, sans one irate child smiled at the sense of normalcy returning.

* * *

Author's note

Apparently, I am weak to peer pressure, seeing how even though I have homework due, I focused on finishing this first because I felt obligated to give you guys more. And I keep delaying my other fiction ideas too... Tsk, going to be about a week before the next chapter at least, assuming nothing changes. Because you know, college is important if only because it is so bloody expensive.

On a different note, there will be a few more chapters for the childhood arc before we reach the main DXD plot. I wasn't expecting this scene to take up an entire chapter either, oh well.

Btw, does it make me a sadist that I corrupted a scene my editor wanted, just to see him squirm? That and the moral of this chapter is proper communication is important. Because without it, child Ritsuka will have moments when every pain receptor will fire constantly, meaning she literally is feeling the most amount of pain physically possible.

Regardless, I hope to hear all of your thoughts in the reviews!

* * *

Editor Notes (also from my phone):

So, uh, yeah, kys my dude. I really wanna give you a pimp slap, but since you weak af and bruise easily, imma decide against it. Anyways, this week, our boy Kovaras here has had his Aqua-Gilgamesh complex on overdrive these past two days making him slightly less tolerable than usual and this doesn't help the case.

In other news, a certain fic I enjoy extensively got a small update so I was pretty stoked. Destiny and Fortuna have began stabbing me with reasons to disregard my schoolwork. Fun. And now, if I can get my writing streak back, I might start doing some writing on my own. Also, I'm not gonna bother editing the AN or my EN anymore than this this time around because I'm currently doing this in the bathroom and my class starts in 5.

Also, Bmao my dude, if you see this, drop kick our boy for me. *mic drop*

* * *

Author's response:

Silence mongrel! I am mourning myself! How dare you make your king do lowly editing work while you do something so mundane as being productive in class! Even one such as I knows that tending to the masses of one's loyal (online) subjects is a royal endeavour to be undertaken by his king and ministers! You should be grateful that I have acknowledged your skill and allowed you to partake in this journey!

Editor's Response:

Feed me Ramen plzthx, o'king gilaqua

* * *

Your king is magnanimus, I shall overlook your debased nature. You shall have your Ramen. And perhaps even mochi as well.


	4. Chapter 3: Twilight of Dreams and Skies

Twilight of Dreams and Skies

 _Master… it's so good to able to talk to you again._

Ritsuka found herself in dark void, a place that seemed neither her nor there. There was no land, nor sky, only darkness and mist. There was nothing to see, save a woman with white-blond hair, yellow eyes, and odd black armor. By all rights she should be intimidating, but the sound of relief in her voice, the look of nostalgia in her face, little Ritsuka found herself feeling completely safe, as if nothing in the world could harm her. The two looked at each other in comfortable silence, until finally, Ritsuka's curiosity finally got the better of her.

 _Who are you?_

Puzzled, Ritsuka furrowed her brows and grasped her throat.

 _How? What? I'm not breathing and my lips aren't moving, yet somehow I'm talking?_

Amused by her master's confusion, Jeanne watched on as Ritsuka started panicking and flailing about, wondering how she was doing anything in this strange realm.

 _Hah! You're alone with a strange woman in a dark place and the first thing you do is think out loud and wonder how you're thinking out loud? Shouldn't you be more concerned with whether or not I'm a bad person, or how you ended up here?_

Ritsuka, not even looking at the said strange woman, continued to study herself, eventually causing herself to float upside down as she twisted her body around.

 _But you're not a bad person. You might look scary to others, but for some reason, I feel safe and warm with you around. Besides, why bother getting scared when there's something fun like this to do!_

Raising her legs, she swung down as fast as she could, causing her to spin in the void, giggling all the while. Jeanne smirked at Ritsuka's antics, unwilling to interrupt her master's fun. That was until Ritsuka started looking green from spinning too fast for too long. Still smirking, Jeanne contemplated allowing nature take its course, but ultimately decided to spare her poor master the misery. Gently slowing down Ritsuka's spins before stopping her completely, she began rubbing her master's back until her motion sickness subsided.

 _See! You_ _ **are**_ _a nice person! Why be scared while you're here? You probably know what's going on, because you are a grown up and all, but you'll tell me when it's time, right?_

Jeanne's smug smirk faltered at her master's innocence and complete trust. It took every scrap of will for Jeanne not to break into tears of relief.

 _Ah, that's right master. But, I can tell you at least some of what is going on. Right now we are in what is called a Dream Cycle. Whenever you go to sleep, there's a chance we will experience parts each other's lives. Right now though, you're seeing the time I spent in the void after my defeat in France, when I didn't properly exist. Thanks to that, we can talk._

 _Uh… I don't get it. Why can't we talk during other dreams? Or when I'm awake?_

Grimacing, Jeanne clenched her firsts in annoyance.

 _Normally, we'd be able to talk whenever we'd like, awake or not. But your mom is still pretty upset about when I activated your circuits. So while you were out in a coma, she created, bought, and bartered for as many spirit protection and exorcism wards as physically and spiritually possible for your home and shrine. So much so that if I attempt to talk to you via telepathy, I'd be expelled from your home and unable to return. And with the spiritual wards this dense, our link would be severed the moment that happened. Trying to materialize is even worse, the split second moment between my material and astral states, I would be vulnerable to purification, which would happen instantly. The only time we can safely talk is during your dreams, and even then it's fleeting. If all of this wasn't aimed against me, I'd be impressed._

 _...activated my circuits?_

Jeanne looked away from Ritsuka's inquisitive gaze in shame.

 _Master, do you remember that extreme amount of pain you went through before you went into a coma for three months?_

 _Yeah?_

 _That was me. Sorry._

Jeanne's eyes watered in shame at the memory. Looking down she bowed her head, terrified of what Ritsuka's reaction would be. Her body shivered and cringed at the betrayed tone of Ritsuka's next question

 _Why did you hurt me?_

Remorse and shame overwhelmed the servant of hate. Without reservation, she closed her eyes and began crying, tightly gripping her sides as she shivered. Her once powerful aura replaced with a sense of fragility like a twig.

 _I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't expect that to happen! I just wanted to talk to you! I just wanted to be by your side! If I didn't, I would have faded away without ever getting to talk to you again! But… but! Seeing you in such pain! I wish I faded away instead! I… I…_

Upon seeing such a proud woman break down in tears so quickly, Ritsuka knew exactly what needed to be done. Floating towards the crying servant, she lightly karate chopped Jeanne's forehead to gain her attention before hugging her tightly, pulling the servant's head to her chest and petting her head.

 _There, there… you apologized so it'll all be better now_

Jeanne quivered receiving such affection. Without a second thought, she held on to little Ritsuka tightly and cried, softly rubbing her face into Ritsuka's chest as she petted and cooed the servant. Three months of self-hatred and recrimination fell from her eyes, and once the tears stopped falling, Jeanne was reluctant to let go until she heard Ritsuka's next words

 _Hah, you're not a grown up! You're just a bigger kid!_

Jeanne's eyes widened at the accusation while she pushed Ritsuka away in embarrassment.

 _Am not! I'm Jeanne d'Arc, Avenger Class servant of the Grail! I, who stands as one of the most powerful servants in existence! A being who at one point nearly destroyed one of the key foundations of Humanity after laying waste to nations and countless armies!_

Flames and an aura of power erupted around Jeanne while her sword and flagpole materialized in her hands. For the first time displaying the power and demeanor expected as a servant of hate as the void around her became distorted and in flux from the sudden burst of energy. An effect that was so tragically undercut by her actions earlier and the fact that her eyes were still puffy from the tears.

Thus Ritsuka began laughing in good cheer at Jeanne before petting her head once more.

 _She's a huge dork! She's a bigger dork than dad!_

Unamused by her master's utter dismissal of her display, she nonetheless allowed her master to pet her, albeit with an unamused flat stare and a subtle quiver of her lip the entire time. However, Ritsuka didn't care, as she was content to be around the servant, regardless of facial expressions. The serenity of the scene lasted but only for a moment as the mist began to disappear and light slowly erupt from the void.

 _Ah, it looks like our time is up. You're waking up now._

 _Awww… can we do this again soon?_

 _We won't be able to talk again until you have another void dream cycle, or your mother allows you to exit the shrine. But don't worry, master. I'd wait an eternity if I knew at the end we'd be able to do this again..._

As the light enveloped them, Ritsuka reached forward to grab the servant, only to see her wistful smile and wave of farewell.

* * *

 _Heh, someone's in a bad mood today._

Azazel smirked lightly as a petulant Ritsuka pouted and sulked during breakfast after being awakened by her mother. The twelve-winged Grigori had become a regular visitor ever since Ritsuka fell into a coma, coming as often as twice a week, even after she had awakened. The mystery of the spirit called out to his inner nature as a researcher and scientist, and he would not stop until he studied it to his satisfaction. Together with Shuri, he'd install equipment in an attempt to detect the spirit, although he could say for certain that she was not quite motivated by the same scientific curiosity as himself. Especially considering all the purification rituals she personally allowed him access to and subsequently allowed to modify.

Today, however, was not one of those days. Baraqiel and his daughters were hovering above the yard, his mouth and normally closed eyes opened in shock as all three of his daughters managed to manifest their wings. Originally, Baraqiel only intended to teach Akeno how to materialize her fallen wings, and fly which she mastered near effortlessly. However, upon seeing their sister learning such a new cool skill, Ritsuka and Nozomi immediately begged their father to teach them as well. Easily crumbling against their pleading eyes, he reluctantly began instructing them as well, fully expecting it to beyond their current abilities... Only to be proven wrong as the pair awkwardly rose into the air with their small matching black wings.

Azazel and Shuri, on the other hand, were merely watching from the porch as the scene unfolded before them. Azazel sported a smug smirk at his old friend's posture, while Shuri merely watched on with a mother's content smile on her face as she watched her daughters fly with the clouds.

 _Pfff… I think this is the longest I've seen Baraqiel stunned in disbelief. And…_

Azazel broke out in hysterical fits of laughter as Baraqiel started spitting and cursing after a fly flew into his mouth. Even Shuri found herself laughing, however her eyes glinted dangerously as she looked at her husband, a sadistic smile slowly forming on her face. Their laughing paused as the nearby Grigori equipment pinged as it detected a slight trembling of nearby magic as a certain servant shuddered and fled away from the mortal woman. Realizing that 'spirit' was terrified of Shuri's sadistic urges, Azazel once more broke into laughter at the absurdity of the situations before him. And once he explained to Shuri his hypothesis, she too joined his laughing, with a dark chuckle with feral glint in her eyes promising sadistic pain to her prey...

* * *

Nozomi felt liberated as she unsteadily flew in the skies. Of the three sisters, she knew she was the least graceful and the least skilled in the air, but it didn't bother her. After all, as long as she can keep up enough to protect them, isn't that all that matters? Without a hint of jealousy, she watched Akeno soar through the skies above their home, teasing Ritsuka with a game of tag, even with her unusually bad mood today. As she focused her gaze on Ritsuka, Nozomi's expression shifted to one of anxiety.

 _I hope sis feels better. Mom and I were so scared that she would never wake up. Even uncle Azazel and the other angels that visited weren't sure if she'd wake up. Only Papa and Akeno were certain she would... I wish I was as brave as them._

The memories of loneliness assaulted Nozomi, of unreturned hugs and kisses, of days waking up without Ritsuka's reassuring smile, and of adventures (exploring near home) no longer undertaken.

 _Was it my fault that Ritsuka was hurt? Is it because I fell asleep first that the mean spirit was able to hurt her? ...am I a bad sister for not protecting her?_

Nozomi meekly hovered still in the air, lost in her thoughts as the others soard around her. That was until she noticed something... a quite fearsome creature in the air. A flying eldritch abomination (a wasp) was flying straight towards Ritsuka while her back was turned! Unwilling to fail her sister once more, Nozomi pushed herself as hard as she could, flying to place herself between the Eldritch abomination (the wasp). In her haste, as she twisted her body to shield Ritsuka, Nozomi unwitting smacked her in the back of the head with her wings. Yelping in pain, Ritsuka turned around to glare at her sister, only to be treated with a nostalgic sight: the back of her sister with her arms spread out, trembling in fear but unwilling to let a fearsome beast (a bug) to come near her sister. Unable to stay mad at her sister, she scanned the skies to see what danger was approaching, only for herself to tremble in fear as she saw the Eldritch abomination (the wasp) approach aggressively towards her sister.

Too afraid to face such a creature, but unwilling to abandon her little sister, Ritsuka hugged Nozomi from behind and closed her eyes, unable to face their impending doom. Nozomi winced in fear, but refused to take her eyes off the monster. She would not allow her sister to be harmed again. Whimpering, she stood her ground (while in the air) with tears streaming down her cheeks.

But what kind of angel needs to fear while the Father (Baraqiel) resides in the heavens above? A bolt of heavenly lightning descended from stratosphere, smiting the foul creature as well as passing divine judgement upon the colony (wasp nest) that spawned such a treacherous beast. The blackened earth stood as a monument to the destruction of the settlement, of fury not seen since the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Akeno could only smile wryly at the scene as she watched her little sisters, crying tears of relief, fly into the arms of their father, who was doing his best to soothe his distraught daughters. Shaking her head, she flew down to investigate the damage.

 _Oh dear… dad damaged one of the anchors for the shrine's barriers. It'll take a few days to fix too… He's going to be punished a lot tonight isn't he?_

Akeno could only sigh as her gaze shifted between her parents. Shrugging, she decided to make space in her bed for her sisters. They would need to sleep with her tonight it seemed.

* * *

 _Really Baraqiel? Are you trying to imitate Father? What does it say about us Fallen that despite betraying him, despite straying from his teachings, we ultimately fall back to his memory?_

Softly chuckling, Azazel shakes his head before turning to Shuri, his gaze slowly turning serious. Motioning for them to walk into the house, he stepped inside and walked towards the kitchen. Shuri, following him without saying a word, held a silent dread slowly building up inside of her. Upon reaching the kitchen, Azazel helped himself to the tea Shuri had already brewed, pouring himself and Shuri a cup. Seeing the normally laid back man acting so contemplative and serious, Shuri's anxiety grew. However, she found herself unable to speak, so she waited. After a moment of awkward silence, Azazel finally spoke.

"At the break of dawn a week from today, Baraqiel is going to lead an assault on the primary base of the Oniyama-kai, with only minimal support from the progressives of the Himejima clan. Normally Baraqiel alone would be more than enough to handle a collection of rogue Youkai of their standing, but this is their primary fortress. They will be entrenched with several layers of defenses, both spiritual and physical. Not to mention they have been bolstered by a sizeable force of stray devils, several of which are high class devils."

"I see… and with that remorseful look in your eyes, the Grigori will not send any support despite the dangers it poses to my husband?"

"Unfortunately, no. Without a formal request or an alliance with the Himejima clan, we cannot intervene. Baraqiel can get away with it only because he married into your family and every mission he has undertaken for the past 5 years has not been under the aegis of the Grigori, but instead that of the Himejima. In fact, in a few years, he'll pretty much be regarded as a former Grigori due to his absence."

Shuri's face remained stoic at the news, her face the embodiment of calm, save for the traces of worry that her gaze betrayed. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath but said nothing, practicing breathing techniques for meditation. After taking a moment to think, she opened her eyes and finally spoke.

"Then why are you telling me this? You are not one to needlessly tell others risks their loved ones are taking if there is nothing to be done about it."

"Indeed you are right. Thanks to all the Himejima techniques and rituals you've allowed me to study, I've created this."

Reaching into his haori, Azazel produced several talismans, traditional works of the Himejima clan, but with symbols of the Grigori interspersed among the kanji. Grinning like a child about to prank his parent, he placed one on Shuri's palm. Before stacking dozens of others onto her table.

"Just how did you fit that many in your haori without it being noticable...?"

"Don't worry about it. For now though, filter your power into the talisman, gently. You don't want it going off prematurely."

Unamused by her question being so brazenly brushed off, Shuri none the less complied with his request and slowly began infusing her energy into the talisman. It responded by emitting a familiar trickle of light. The light of the Grigori as their spears of light formed.

Shuri could only stare at the talisman dumbfounded, although it became a bit of a blessing as she did not see Azazel's smug smirk as he explained his latest invention to his ever so captivated audience.

"That, my dear Shuri, is a talisman that converts the spiritual energy of practitioners into the light of the Grigori. This is a prototype, with a tendency to fail catastrophically, but soon the Himejima clan will be able to wield both the spiritual arts of their clan and the Fallen Light of the Abrahamic God."

"What do you mean 'fails catastrophically'?"

"It can suddenly explode when enough energy courses through it. Don't worry, what you're producing right now is nowhere near enough to start that kind of reaction."

"And you plan on giving the clan members who will go into battle with my husband weapons that could explode on them?"

"Of course not! I just wanted to show you where I am in developing talismans for the progressives' use. What I will be giving to your husband's allies are these."

Pointing to the larger stack of talismans, he picked up one and handed it to Shuri.

"Don't push your energy into this one, it is primed to fire."

"Fire?"

"Yes. Before I could create a talisman that can convert spiritual energy into light, I had to see if the Talismans could handle bearing the 2 distinct energies at the same time. During those experiments, I discovered a way to store light, but use your techniques to release them. Effectively allowing Himejima practitioners access to Grigori light spears during battle. The charges are limited as well as their output, with the weaker ones being able to fire spears with the strength of a two winged angel, and the newer more, potent ones bearing the strength of four winged angels. Every Himejima marching beside Baraqiel will have 6 of the weaker talismans and 4 of the stronger ones."

After taking in everything Azazel said, Shuri glanced at the massive pile of talismans and slowly began to smile before she looked at her husband's, no, now also her eccentric friend in awe.

 _To make such a new tool that could only benefit the Himejima so quickly, and in such considerable numbers… How much effort did Azazel and the others go for us?_

"So even though the Grigori cannot come in person, they shall be with us in spirit… The irony is not lost to me Azazel. Those stray devils will never know what hit them."

"Indeed, they will not."

* * *

"So, the time has finally arrived has it?"

"Indeed, Honorable Father. In the next few days, the blight that has stained our family will be cleansed. The spy in the Himejima family has taken the bait, the Oniyama-kai are aware of Baraqiel and the Progressives' attack tomorrow. You would do well to position your practitioners to sweep in and crush the Oniyama-kai after they repulse the Progressives."

Once again, the Head of the Himejima clan, Suou, found himself talking to his supposedly wayward son Souta, 'Head' of the Progressive Faction over a cup of tea in the main family's household. The two sat in complete ease, comfortable that in the privacy of the room, none of what they were discussing will reach the outside world.

"Is that wise? If they know of the impending attack, the storming of the keep will become an ambush. I doubt they will be able to do enough damage for our forces to emerge victorious."

"Ah, but Honorable Father, it will turn into a costly battle. I allowed the spy to learn of the attack, but not of the other… developments."

Suou could only raise his brow in curiosity at Souta's reluctant tone.

"Developments?"

"Indeed, although the Grigori has respected our wishes and not allowed any other Fallen to participate in our battles, they have not stood idle. Their leader, Azazel, has been studying our crafts, and developed additional tools for our use."

" _ **What."**_

In outrage, Suou shot up, his face flushed red with rage and his eyes turned bloodshot. Souta, on the other hand, remained calm, continuing to sip on his tea as if he were merely talking about tomorrow's weather.

"Shuri allowed the leader of the Grigori access to all of our rituals and talismans she had access to for study. It was to help deal with the potent angry spirit that somehow defies all of our exorcism and purification rites."

" _ **That treacherous bitch**_. I should have her excommunicated and killed for betraying our secrets."

Trembling in rage, the elder man found himself contemplating all that he could do to punish the woman's audacity, while Souta's gaze and tone slowly became more heated and impassioned.

"Now now Father, it was improper, yes, but not treasonous. I investigated the spirit attack personally and I must concede that Azazel's conclusions were correct and Shuri made the right call. There is a massive spirit barely constrained by the shrine despite all the upgrades to its defenses. Were it not for their actions, we could be suffering a crisis to contain a spirit that could easily destroy cities. Besides, she's about to die for consorting with a filthy creature. The woman is misguided, but not a traitor."

"Misguided or not, she must be made an example of."

Souta's eyes narrowed dangerously, but before he spoke, he paused. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. Regaining control of his emotions, he returned to his original demeanor, but he could not completely suppress the bitterness and defiance in his voice.

"To that Honorable Father, I disagree. For her crimes, she shall be punished, in this case, with her life. However, I will not stand idly by as you besmirch her reputation and honor needlessly. Such an action is uncalled for."

"And why do you care about that sow's honor?"

"As one who sacrificed his reputation to protect his family, I know better than any the cost, the _weight_ of the loss of honor. In life, I shall live as a secretly respected member of the family, but after death, I will be hounded for false sins for _generations_. I have no regrets, for this is the path I chose. Shuri however, is a fool and misguided, but she loves her family, both of filthy blood and her pure relatives. She has not betrayed us, and despite her foolish and rather costly mistake, she has performed all of her duties to the best of her abilities. She is clearly loyal to the Himejima, if not to its traditions. I will not see her vilified as a traitor for centuries when her actions dictate that she should just pay with her life."

"Hmmmmm… very well son. I shall honor your request, but I will not hide my disdain for her."

"Thank you Honorable Father. I knew you would understand."

Taking a moment to allow their emotions to settle completely, the pair poured themselves more tea and drank in silence. The peace lasted a more few minutes as Suou's turbulent emotions drifted back into tranquility. Looking at his son in warmth and pride, he smiled at his son's strength of character.

"So my child, going back to what we were discussing earlier, what is your suggestions to deal with the coming crisis?"

"As I stated before, have our elites in position to take advantage of the battle between Progressives and the Oniyama-kai, preferably attacking after the Progressives have been routed and not before. As for Shuri's shrine, I am certain the Youkai or the devils will send a force to kill them all, to punish Baraqiel. We will need to position some of our own forces to drive them off after they kill Shuri and the children. In the slim chance that Baraqiel survives, we need to maintain the image that we fought against the common enemy but merely failed to arrive on time."

"And why would maintaining such an image be important?"

"What sounds better Father, Baraqiel and the Grigori withdrawing support to us because we were too dishonorable to defend children born to the clan, or have Baraqiel lead the Grigori in a crusade against our enemies and sending us tribute to support us."

Raising his brows in concern, Suou studied his son's face, looking to see if perhaps his son was slowly shifting away from the traditions they hold so dear.

"My Son, why are you so adamant in keeping good relations with the Grigori? Their association with us caused a dire violation of our traditions."

"Yes, they have, but in return they have created these."

Reaching into his haori, Souta pulled out a single talisman and laid it in front of his father.

"These talismans allow Himejima practitioners, and ONLY Himejima practitioners the ability to release the light spears contained within, and with an even better prize yet to come: a talisman that will allow the Himejima clan alone to access the powers of a Fallen Angel while still remaining pure and human."

"Truly?"

Suou's brow rose in fascination as he studied the talisman. Despite seeing the unfamiliar symbols of the Grigori, it felt as if the Grigori additions to the talisman deferred to the Himejima. Their works were not profaned or defiled but rather tastefully augmented and respected. Seeing his Father satisfied with the Grigori enhanced talisman, Souta smiled.

"Yes. This is a rare opportunity for our family to become one of the greatest powers in Japan."

"You are serious. So be it, I shall abide by your suggestion. Anything else?"

"Yes Honorable Father, after this discussion you will need to detain me for 'encouraging' the progressives to move without your express consent. This will allow us to maintain the legitimacy of our supposed roles and prevent the progressives from making an organized resistance to whatever you plan to do after the battle. After all, some of the children may be able to escape and flee to the safety of our heretical kin. Should that happen, we deal with them immediately, preferably through intermediaries to allow plausible deniability. Lastly, place some recording talismans and Ofuda near and in my cell. While you are gone, traitors and other heretics may approach me. It will serve as evidence."

"Very well, thank you my Son. Know I take no pleasure from this."

The two stood up, with Souta allowing himself to be bound in rope and Ofuda. Closing his eyes, he bowed respectfully towards his father, and the two walked walked into the basement where a cell awaited Souta. As Souta calmly walked in, he wistfully smiled.

"Thank you Honorable Father, I wish that I could see this to fruition, and the looks on our enemies faces as they realized they played into our hands."

"Indeed, they will never know what hit them."

* * *

Author's notes:

This chapter was a bit harder than expected to write. The next two chapters I can't stop thinking about because of how heartfelt and awesome I believe they are going to be. As well as heartbreaking. But one cannot just jump to such scenes without transitions, but with how brilliant they were in my mind, I was blinded to the path I should take to get to it. So yeah, sorry for the delay.

Oh and this chapter helped solidify my opinion of myself that I am a bit of a sadist, seeing how I as I was writing this, I was entertaining an NTR route in my mind if only to hear my Editor to scream "Nooooo! Not Shuri! Why… why would anyone write this!?".

Maybe I should just write an Omake about it and send it to him without warning him?

 _ ***Malicious laughing***_

After all, isn't it a King's prerogative to make his own entertainment?

Oh and if you are wondering why he called me Gil Aqua, it's because my editor a while ago wrote a FF14 crack fic with his, mine and our friends characters. He made me an all powerful black mage who was as arrogant as King Gilgamesh, with the catchphrase: "Silence Mongrel, I am mourning myself!" However, my character was too idiotic to use their powers correctly. Any FF14 black mages will probably get triggered once they hear what my character's rotation was: _Swiftcast into Scathe_.

Oh, and my character actually had the ability to spam LB3 meteors at any given time, she just refused to because nothing save level 1 cockroaches were worthy of such a judgment. So powerful, but so useless. So after reading that I told him, "You've turned me into Gilgamesh with the divinity of Aqua," and ever since then we ran with it.

I might start playing FF14 again soon actually, but after I finish a few more chapters. Hmm… maybe I should make a game to see if anyone could figure out who my character is? Maybe I'll use their FF character or an OC representing themselves as character in this or a future story?

On a related note, it would seem my editor has cheap ramen tastes, for the feast only cost me mere $140 to feed him and his kin ramen and mochi. Such plebeian preferences, but this king shall allow it. For a King is magnanimous towards such loyal subjects.

(#GilAquaThings)

* * *

Editor's Notes:

Imma try not to be too long-winded like the bitch boy blm above me. However, everything he did say was indeed true. Let's just say his character used it on a cockroach that got too close.

That said, I should probably do the same and get back on FF14 with Blue Mage hitting up 4.5, but alas, I is the lazy. For anyone wondering, I've mained Dark Knight before and after it was cool, and I don't plan on relenting especially with Shadowbringers coming in 9ish months.

In other news, people kill when they are die and fire is indeed wet.

Oh, and I was fed ramen, so the editing overdrive buff is active for the NEXT two chapters (not this one).

Slight Update: Because finals are starting soon, we can play with one of two options. Kovaras' writing is a sloppy mess most of the time, which is why I exist here. If you all really want the chapters, you can take the hastily edited and revised piece. However, if all of you want the satisfaction of a 93% cleaned up chapter (I can only hope I'm that good at editing, like damn), then we can postpone the releases. If our boy here can write quick, then at least next chapter shouldn't suffer the fate of a hasty or delayed release.

* * *

Author's Response

Gonna need less edge there mate. And of course I, the King, keeps his promises!

Editor's AR Response:

Boy you shoulda kept that hyphen out of it. I liked it without it because it bothered me in that weird way.

(Bitch I will counter edit you as I please!) xD


	5. Chapter 4: A Mother's Determination

A Mother's Determination

 _Damn it all! If I find the damned traitor I will personally introduce him to all of Father's preferred punishments for blasphemers!_

Baraqiel could only curse has he found himself wounded and isolated from his allies. A fierce scowl adorned his face while his bloodied body stood defiant against his attackers. All ten wings were revealed in their dark splendor, and an oppressive aura of light dominated the fortress, or rather what remained of it.

When the attack initially commenced, the Progressives stormed the gates using only the Himejima techniques. Once the youkai of the Oniyama-Kai and their stray devil allies began to organize a counter attack, Baraqiel took advantage of their distraction and unleashed the might of a Grigori Veteran from the Great War from above. A terrible barrage of divine light spears and lightning tore through the fortress, bringing down large sections of the roof and walls onto the heads of the defenders.

Realizing their mistake, the youkai reinforced their undamaged sections of the fortress and fell back, leaving the lesser stray devils to be slaughtered. After a few probing blasts proved ineffective against the reinforced segments, Baraqiel descended, and leading his allies forward, charged into the inner sanctums of the fortress, only to be caught in a magical prison. It would only hold him for a moment, but it was all that was needed before he was struck in the gut with a peculiar magical bolt.

A sense of filth and wrongness coursed through Baraqiel as be destroyed the prison with the raw power of his divine aura and proceeded to slaughter the youkai and devils that foolishly charged him upon breaking free. But they kept coming, and over time Baraqiel noticed his reactions were slowing, his blows waning in strength.

 _Impossible, I should not be so fatigued so soon. And this sensation, I haven't felt it since… Oh, I see…_

"It has been a long time since the end of the war, Coward of the Valefor family. I should have known one as disgraceful as you would have used this poisoned magic."

To that, an unseen callous voice echoed from afar.

" _Discretion is not cowardice, Fallen filth."_

"But abandoning your family is. You are a shameful disgrace that not even devils could tolerate. You dishonor everyone here with your mere presence."

" _Bold words Fallen, but who cares if it is dishonorable? After all, victory washes away all dishonor."_

"Then I find it baffling that I wasn't able to smell you as we began our siege."

The voice snarled, and let loose several purple bolts of magic, reeking with poison. Baraqiel, despite his weakened state, parried them away almost effortlessly and with a dark scowl, walked forward menacingly.

 _This will be a tedious battle._

* * *

 _I hope dad comes back soon…_

Ritsuka soared alone in the air above her home. It was a beautiful evening, the final dying lights of the twilight could be seen in the distance, while the brightest of stars were just beginning to shine, heralding the coming of night.

Anxious about her father, she begged her mother to allow her to fly to calm her mind, which despite enjoying the coolness of the wind as she leisurely flew about, failed to achieve. Sighing, she closed her eyes slowly and began to descend, stopping to hover a few meters above the yard.

 _Maybe I should just play with Nozomi and Akeno. Uncle Az gave us a new game sys-_

Ritsuka never finished that thought, as a bright purple bolt tore through her chest followed by immense pain. She _almost_ didn't feel the pain of plummeting into the ground. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, with each beat causing the pain to ever escalate within her body. While a strangely familiar blackness began creeping up in her vision, she wondered why she felt so wet on the ground. Weakly lifting her hand to her face, she saw it dyed in red.

 _That's not good… Mom, I…_

Looking into the distance, she saw 16 oddly dressed men leisurely flying towards her in the air. Her eyelids became ever so heavy, and slowly they closed. The last thing Ritsuka heard was her mother's screams before finally succumbing to the ever blackening world.

* * *

Shuri sat alone at the kitchen counter, watching as Nozomi and Akeno try the new game system gifted to him by Azazel. Initially Shuri had been hesitant to allow her children to play it, but seeing Azazel's heartbroken expression at her rejection, she eventually caved. But even as she watched her children play some sort of racing game with turtle shells, her mind was elsewhere.

 _Souta has been arrested and imprisoned by the Family Head. And at the worst possible time, with almost all of our able practitioners with Baraqiel, all the progressive families are feeling exposed. Without Souta's calm leadership, we are on the verge of panicking._

Her thoughts were interrupted upon hearing a loud thump from the backyard alongside her daughter's scream. Running outside, she was greeted once more by a scene from her nightmares: her daughter once more crumpled onto the ground in agony, only this time in an ever enlarging pool of her own blood. Screaming in horror, she almost rushed forward until she saw a group of men mirthfully flying towards them, their smiles promising nothing but misery. Their smiles were growing ever brighter as they heard the tiny screams of Akeno and Nozomi, who ran out to follow their mother. It took all that Shuri had to suppress the urge to recklessly run out towards her daughter.

 _Devils… it is my first time seeing an entire peerage like this. They must be here for revenge against Baraqiel. After all, how best to hurt a man by killing his family? They are still outside of the house's boundaries, so I can raise the barrier. But will it last long enough? Devils are evil but not stupid. They wouldn't come here unless they had a way to make sure we were defenseless. But how would they know? Unless…_

Cursing, her eyes narrowed in fury at the thought of the Family Head being so cruel and callous. The devils could not have made it this far into Himejima territory without members of the family being complicit. But discovering how deep the treachery went was a question for later. Breathing deeply, she turned towards her eldest and most reliable daughter.

"Akeno, do you remember the hidden path I made to escape the sights of spirits?"

Akeno tore her eyes away from her bleeding sister and looked at her mom in confusion.

"Yes?"

"It should work against any supernatural being. Take it and run to your cousin's Suzaku's house and get help."

Akeno's eyes widened in disbelief.

 _Why is mom sending us away? Shouldn't we be going to save Ritsuka now?_

"Mom! But what about-"

"Now is not the time Akeno! I cannot protect us and save Ritsuka at the same time. I need you to get help from your cousins before the shrine falls!"

Against her mother's unusually stern glare, Akeno's resistance quickly crumbled. Looking at her feet, she could barely mutter her next words.

"I… understand mother…"

Seeing that her eldest daughter was placated, Shuri knelt down to look Nozomi in the eyes. The protective girl's gaze flickered between her mother and the fallen Ritsuka, eyes filled with indecision on what to do, on who to follow and protect. Sensing Nozomi's inner turmoil, Shuri spoke with a tone of steely determination.

"Nozomi, my daughter, can you protect Akeno for me? I can rescue Ritsuka, but I need you to protect Akeno so I don't get worried. Can you do it for me?"

"Yes mom…"

"Good, now go! As soon as you make it outside of barrier limits, I'll activate it. Whatever happens, don't let any of the devils find you. Get to Suzaku and get help. NOW GO!"

With hesitation in their faces, the pair ran into the house and into a hidden path in the back.

Satisfied, Shuri stood back up, closing her eyes and filtering her energy into the environment around her. Once her senses encompassed the entire shrine, she smiled as her daughters obeyed her and began running down the path.

Once she felt the pair leave the boundaries of the barrier, Shuri channeled all of her energy into the ground beneath her. The pulse of her spirit throughout the grounds caused all the talismans and anchors throughout the area to glow in power, bringing to life an unseen protective dome around the shrine.

* * *

 _Oh? What is this? Some sort of barrier?_

Begmal Valefar, a blue-haired devil with dull fuschia eyes, one of the last surviving members of the 'extinct' Valefar. He and his father, Olran Valefar, were disowned by their family for betraying their values during the Great War. After all, how can one embody the concept of honor among thieves when they revel in dishonor and all of its forms?

He stared at the barrier, curious yet unwilling to touch it. He nodded at one of his pawns who fervently shook his head in a frightened defiance. Annoyed, a magic circle appeared next to him, and a crimson aura appeared around the pawn. Shaking in fear, his body unnervingly flew into the barrier, his screams of pain bringing a smile to the callous devil's face as the poor man was slowly incinerated by its pure energies. The other pawns in his peerage could only look on in horror, while the other pieces watched with resigned indifference.

"So that's what would happen if we were to touch it. Oh well, in war you must sacrifice pawns in order to gain victory. Good thing they can be easily replaced."

Looking at his unmoving peerage, his eyes flashed in rage, and his aura flared.

"Why are you all just watching? There must be a weakness. Find it!"

The devils under his command scrambled, firing their magic into the barrier, probing it for weakness, while others descended onto the ground, searching for possible anchors powering the barrier. All the while, Begmal arrogantly floated above, staring at a spare pawn piece he hid in his sleeve.

 _What better way to break a man than by enslaving his woman. Granted, I'd need to offer her something to take the deal, but if I word it cleverly enough, I can kill her children AND make her my mistress. At least until I am bored with her._

Licking his lips, he watched as the woman scrambled outside to fetch her child and carry her inside, the child's blood staining her clothes.

 _Soon…_

* * *

 _This isn't good, those monsters poisoned Ritsuka as well…_

Urgently, Shuri wrapped the wounds of her daughter with blessed bandages, easing her pains. However, they did little against the bulging purple veins spreading outwards from the wounds. Once the bleeding was adequately staunched, Shuri once again picked up her daughter and carried her into a deeper part of the shrine. It was a dark room, lit only by the burning incense and the gentle glow of the Kanji written on the walls, representing the four divine deities that safeguarded the cardinal directions. Talismans hovered in the air, each one humming in power, begging to be used.

Gently, Shuri laid her daughter in the center of the room. Lines brimming with power appeared on the floor, spreading out in geometric circles away from Ritsuka as the floating talismans descended and placed themselves on key points in the array, glowing brilliantly. In the light of this sacred glow, the air itself seemed to be cleaner, a purity rarely seen in the modern outside world. In this blessed place, the bulging purple veins receded, the corruption of their weak potency cleansed.

Seeing her daughter recover, Shuri sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness, the Purification Room works against even a devil's malady. But at this rate, it will take about 30 minutes for the bile to be purged out of her system."

As she spoke to herself, the telling thuds and vibrations from the destruction of the various anchors could be felt throughout the shrine. Running outside the room, Shuri sealed the door behind her with an ofuda before running throughout their home, activating various wards and enchantments to strengthen the shrine's walls. Then she ran to Azazel's workshop, or more accurately, the guest room that Azazel modified without permission into a "workshop". There she found two dozen talismans that her kin left behind before going with Baraqiel.

Gathering all that she could, she ran back to the entrance of the Purification Room before dropping them on the ground and running back for the others. After the third trip, she ran to her own room to don her practitioner's robes and gohei. Every device left behind by Azazel and herself to help deal with the angry spirit was primed to fire as she spread her conscious throughout her home. The barrier was flickering as the final anchor was destroyed, and the devils in their arrogance flew lazily towards the shrine, confident in their victory.

"To think these devils would have the gall to waltz in and strike down _MY_ daughter… They will learn the meaning of true hell."

Smiling sadistically, she activated the traps Azazel laid should the spirit ever properly materialize. His machines whirled into life as a field of divine light began emanating from the very grounds of the shrine, constantly burning the devils as it attempted to purify the evils found within their souls. The weaker devils immediately fell unto the ground, writhing in pain as their bodies disintegrated before the raw power of the Fallen's light.

Enraged, some of the devils launched their spells at the shrine. But instead of seeing the walls crumble beneath the volume of their attacks, there was barely a scratch, the dim glow of Shuri's Ofuda bleeding through the walls. Without the little patience they had when they arrived, the remaining devils charged the house.

* * *

Begmal only watched on with wary eyes as he saw his peerage fall one by one to the traps. Devils that served him will for decades were collapsing under the strain of the Fallen's Aura saturating the air, while those who served for centuries could not hide their desperation as they charged the shrine. The fallen devils' cries for help were quickly drowned out by eruptions of light spewed from the ground as Azazel's machines unleashed their holy wrath upon the invaders while ofuda and protective talismans of the Himejima gleamed defiantly against the onslaught of his bishops' magic.

 _Impossible, what kind of trickery is this? Not even the most fortified shrines of Japan has defenses like this. I heard of the paranoia of Baraqiel's wife, but even this is too far. The mere safety of mewling spawn should never warrant this level of traps and defenses. Still, it will ultimately mean nothing. I may have lost over half of my peerage, but the survivors are grizzled veterans who are about to storm through the doors. One mortal of her stature could do little against veterans of the Great War. However, this resistance means I'll have to be extra creative while I break her in my b-_

Begmal never finished the thought, as his eyes widened in shock at the absurdity before him. His rooks, veterans of the Great war tore down the doors barring their path, only to be immediately struck down by a barrage of spears of light. His surviving peerage paused in shock at the sight.

A costly mistake.

From one of the windows, more spears erupted forth, striking down a motionless knight and the last surviving pawn.

"F-fall Back!"

Begmal's peerage broke, retreating back towards him while spears of light peppered them from the shrine, grazing the survivors. Once they fled beyond Shuri's reach, they took a sigh of relief before making their way to Begmal.

Covered in countless cuts and burns, the remaining devils survived the ordeal, only to be greeted with their king's most displeased scowl.

 _My peerage, savaged by a woman._ _ **A single mortal woman!**_ _**Useless**_ _, my entire peerage is_ _ **useless**_ _! All that remains is a knight, a bishop and my queen! Veterans of the war reduced to such weakness. Bah! The foolishness of the current 'Satans' is infecting and weakening all of devil kind, even those that stayed faithful to the old ways…_

Frowning, Begmal looked towards the shrine, flecks of light still rising from the ground.

 _Regardless… how did a mortal woman manage to create spears of light? Something odd is at play here…_

* * *

Panting, Shuri leaned against the door protecting her daughter before sliding down to the floor.

 _That was… intense. Firing all those talismans drained everything I had… It's good that they didn't press the attack. I would've been too exhausted to fight back._

Slowly righting herself, she struggled to spread her senses throughout her home.

 _Most of the defenses have been burned out, the holy aura is still active so it will weaken the devils once they return, but based on their last assault, it won't do much against the survivors. They are well beyond an average devil. Still, I bought 20 minutes. If I can drive them off one more time, I can flee with Ritsuka._

Losing herself in that innocent wish of saving her daughter, Shuri smiled before closing her eyes. Taking a few moments to indulge in that dream, she eventually opened her eyes and began patrolling her house, looking for anything that she could use to slow down the invaders.

 _Tsk, looks like I used up everything that I could already..._

Wandering close to the door, she noticed the burned out talismans littering the floor.

 _Only 6 left, all but one of which can only produce spears of a mere 2 winged angel. Wait… what about…_

Shuri immediately broke into a run, dashing to Azazel's workshop. Upon reaching it, she walked to a familiar desk, opened a drawer and found several talismans: the flawed prototypes that would explode if too much energy filtered through them. Smiling sadistically, Shuri ran out of the room and returned with an Ofuda, pried from one of the walls of her home. Carefully, she attached it to the bottom of the talismans and rigged it to filter her power on her command.

 _Now all I have to do is leave enough evidence that they will come to this workshop. Between talismans and the other equipment left by Azazel, it should make a potent explosion. I feel a little bad for Azazel though, some of these artifacts were rare if I recall correctly. Oh well, I'll just blame the devils for tampering with his workshop, not like he needs to know that I caused it._

Shrugging, Shuri removed more ofuda from the outer walls of her home to reinforce the inner walls, especially the walls separating Ritsuka from the now explosive workshop. Nodding at her handiwork, she once more sat in front of the room housing Ritsuka and waited, as she sensed the devils invading once more…

* * *

Begmal and his peerage flew once more towards the shrine at a leisurely pace. The holy aura was still in effect, but a high class devil of his stature could easily shrug it off. His weakened peerage on the other hand, were suffering greatly, panting and sweating at the effort to resist being purified.

Pleadingly, they looked towards their king to allow them to charge posthaste to storm the shrine, but Begmal scoffed and kept his leisurely pace. The message was clear:

 _You have disappointed me, this is your punishment._

The knight, a man who served Begmal since the beginning collapsed from his wounds. Shielding others, he bore the brunt of several holy explosions to enable as many as possible to survive, only to be peppered by lightspears as he shielded his weaker comrades during the retreat.. His burnt and scarred form squirmed restlessly on the ground as his body slowly turned to ashes, his desperate eyes pleading to be saved. His comrades looked on in remorse at their powerlessness, while Begmal turned his back, callously abandoning the man who served him unflinchingly the longest.

Resigned to his fate, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before fading to ashes in the soft breeze.

Eventually, the three arrived at the Shrine's destroyed doors. Begmal's queen and bishop initially hesitated in entering, fearful of another trap that could lay waste to the rooks, but the furious glare of their king convinced them to push forward. The pair rushed in, magic formulas forming in their hands as their weakened and exhausted bodies trembled from the strain, only to be greeted with silence. Hesitantly, they released their formulas as their king followed in behind them, observing the scene of their rooks' failure.

 _Odd, I see no traps here. There are no signs of the wards used by the grigory or any of the machinery Azazel produced during the last years of the war to support his kin in battle. Only burned out ofuda and talismans._

Walking slowly, Begmal continued to inspect the room, before eventually picking up one of the spent talismans.

 _Odd, I can feel the fading presence of light here... Wait, are those grigory sigils mixed in with the Himejima symbols? By the Satans, this isn't merely Baraqiel's home… this is a weapons laboratory for the Grigori. Of course there are countless layers of defenses!_

" **FOOLS!** This place isn't merely Baraqiels home! It's a testing ground and workshop for Azazel! All it took was one glance to figure this out and the **LOT OF YOU COULDN'T REALIZE THIS?! Maybe I should kill you both so I can start anew with my peerage** "

The two survivors shuddered in terror. Terror of their tyrannical king and the slowly encroaching purification. Disgusted at their pathetic sight, Begmal's aura flared and his eyes flashed red.

"Perhaps you may wish to prove you have still marginal worth by **seeking out the workshop while I deal with the bitch who ravaged you.** "

Nodding, the two scrambled down the hallway, ransacking the place to find **ANYTHING** that could appease their mercurial master. Sighing in contempt, Begmal casually walked down a different hallway, unwittingly towards Shuri and the purification room.

* * *

Shuri sighed in disappointment as she sensed the two approach the workshop.

 _If only all of them went there… oh well. Beggars can't be choosers._

Smiling sadistically, she willed the ofuda to activate, triggering the talismans. A thunderous explosion rocked the house as light and wood shrapnel flew in all directions not shielded by the ofuda reinforced walls. A full two thirds of the shrine collapsed, burying the irate Begmal in the rubble.

Breathing deeply, Shuri once more stood up. Drenched in sweat, she could barely keep her herself from panting in exhaustion, but once more, she raised her gohei and the 4 talismans between her fingers, primed to fire.

 _A roof falling down on him will not be enough. Once he emerges I'll have one chance, one shot to take him down. I don't have the strength for a prolonged fight._

On cue, Begmal erupted from the rubble, screaming in rage as his magic ignited the wood with purple flames.

" **YOU BITCH! I'M SO GOING TO ENJOY BREAKING YOU TENFOLD ON MY BED!"**

To that, she responded with multiple spears of light that punctured his arms, torso and legs. Flinching, he stumbled forward, blood flowing from his wounds.

But he did not fall.

"It will take more than that to stop me _wench_. Don't worry though, I'll show you a good time after this."

Smiling ferally, magic formulas manifested in his palms as he charged forward shrugging off the following spears of light Shuri fired. The two began a deadly dance, as an exhausted Shuri staved off the attacks of Begmal, who laughed sadistically as he saw the wounds pile up on the woman.

 _He's toying with me… good. He's letting his guard down. The fool hasn't even noticed that his own reaction times are dropping as the holy aura of the shrine saps away at his strength. All I need to do is hold out a bit longer. I still have two cards I can play, two chances to turn this around. I just need to last long enough to use them._

* * *

Throughout this entire debacle, there was one who could only watch as the battle raged before her. An unwilling witness, Jeanne Alter watched the desperate struggle of her master's mother to defend Ritsuka.

 _If only I could intervene… Shuri used up all the defenses to keep me at bay on the devils so I can safely materialize now… if it wouldn't kill my master. The wounds on her is grave, she wouldn't survive summoning me as she is right now with poison coursing through her. She'll need a week to recover enough to summon me. Damn it all!_

And so Jeanne watched. She watched as Shuri rescued Ritsuka right from under the noses of the devils. She watched as Shuri converted her home to a fortress. She watched as Shuri sacrificed more and more of her home to buy much needed time. She watched as Shuri wreaked havoc on the invaders, taking gallons of blood for every inch lost. She watched Shuri's unyielding determination against all odds.

 _She reminds me of the people of Uruk, staying strong against all odds, knowing that at the end all will probably be lost, but resisting with every fiber of their being all the same. All for the hope that there will be a slim chance to save the future, if not the present._

Smiling softly, Jeanne reminisced during the lull in the battle. Her mind recalling the month spent in Babylon during the reign of King Gilgamesh. Of the strength of its people during the apocalypse and how despite all odds added Chaldea in restoring the Grand Order. Any resentment Jeanne once held against Shuri's attempts to exercise her flowed away, as hatred for the Devils that dared attack their home surged in its place.

 _At least I'll be able to talk to Ritsuka when she wakes up through our mental link. I'll be able to guide her to safety while Shuri holds off this devil. She'll most likely die, but I'll avenge her all the same. It's the least I can do._

As the final bout between Shuri and the sole remaining devil began, Jeanne felt a tug at the back of her mind, which soon became a question.

 _Ugh… what happened?_

Jeanne's eyes widened in relief as she heard her master once more.

 _Master! I'm so happy you're awake, but now isn't the time to celebrate. You need to run, now!_

 _Jeanne? What's going on?_

 _Devils, bad guys have come to kill you because they want to hurt your father. Your mom asked me to guide you to safety while she holds them off._

 _Really? I thought she didn't like you._

 _She doesn't, but right now it's more important to get you to safety._

Silence reigned between the two as Jeanne quietly hoped that Ritsuka would believe her little lie.

 _Ok, but afterwards will you go back to save mom?_

 _Yes, I will do everything I can for her once I know you are safe._

 _Ok, I believe you!_

Jeanne could only smile sadly, thankful that Ritsuka could not see her.

 _Ok, master first thing we need to do is… MASTER GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!_

Without hesitation, Ritsuka dived away from the door before exploded into a thousand different pieces. Skittishly, she peaked her head through the ruined door to see her mother, bloodied and wounded, standing her ground against an blue-haired man with his back against the door.

"Mom?"

 _Master, you idiot!_

The pair paused in their battle upon hearing her voice, and the strange man glanced at her with a manic grin before grabbing her by the throat and holding her before her mother.

"Submit bitch, or watch as I snap your little girl's neck."

"Ritsuka! You monster!"

Chuckling, Begmal tightened his grip on Ritsuka's throat, making her squirm and flail in desperation.

"Throw your trinkets at my feet, and I'll spare your child. Or do I need to squeeze harder?"

Glaring, Shuri tossed her talismans and her Gohei at his feet. Never breaking eye contact, she ignored the triumphant look on his face has he gloated about his superiority and all the obscene things he would to to her and her daughter in his infinite mercy..

 _Keep talking monster, I haven't lost yet._

* * *

Author's notes

Heya peeps! It's been a while!

Sorry for the delay in writing, I was hit with a wombo combo in real life. I had final projects due, final exams to take, fell ill immediately after said final projects and exams, and in one of my part time jobs lost a months worth of timesheets so I wasn't paid. Still waiting on getting paid to be honest. So yeah, December's been rough to say the least.

That aside, this was a hard chapter to write. I wasn't quite sure how to write this chapter because all the cool stuff happens next chapter, and I was so focused on that it made it hard to write a worthy prologue to it. I hope you guys found this chapter satisfactory.

Oh right, and only 4 of you noticed this, but I put a poll up on my page about what story you guys want me to focus on next. By focus on next I mean whenever I lack inspiration for my current 3 stories where to direct my imagination towards. And no before some of you ask, I haven't abandoned a Boulder in the Path of Conquest, it's just that more people are begging me for this story and a Certain Heroic Reality so I put it in the back burner for now until I need a break from these stories.

Oh and hypothetically speaking, if someone wanted to make a thread to debate how spells of different franchises would interact on SB or SV, where would that fall under? The mods on those sites scare me at times and the normal users have a tendency to utterly ignore my questions and my existence. I'd rather not make a noobish mistake and get dogpiled again.

Nothing else to really talk about for now, other than Smash Ultimate is fun. I wonder if I played against any of you guys online? Right then, off to start writing some more stuff. The fans of a Certain Heroic reality have been getting antsy, lol

* * *

Editor Notes:

Life. Sucks. Scraped by with grit and the power of college angst. Even so, as I edited this piece at less than 50%, I tactically decided to leave the AN alone because existing hurts. If Kovaras sounds less intelligent than usual, thank me later.

But, the delay is mainly due to predicaments on both ends. Kovaras had jazz to deal with so he wasn't able to write much, and when he was able, my existence began to dive for worst. One month delay, but hey. We're alive. Somehow. Maybe. Potentially. Okay, I don't know if I count as "alive" at this point.

In other news, Azur Lane has me swooning over Tirpitz. She may not be at my baby Enterprise's level, but she put Graf and Illustrious down a spot. Her 2D Live skin was sooooo worth.

Anyways, be happy with life friends. I.e., don't be me as I'm editing this.


	6. Chapter 5: Of Legends

Of Legends

 _Ah Baraqiel, you are still beyond my ability to kill, but it matters not. I've already won the war._

Olran Valefar, disgraced and disowned son of the now extinct Valefar family smiled derisively towards his relentless foe. His once crimson dapper clothes were burned and marred, his blue hair dishevelled with countless cuts and burns covering his body. His foe, Baraqiel on the other hand was faring far worse. His face was pale, and his body was drenched in sweat as poison wreaked havoc upon his body.

This however, did little to subtract from the majesty of his aura. It was an imposing figure, hovering just above the ground with 10 ebony wings at this back, the burned corpses of countless devils and youkai struck down by his divine lightning sprawling out before him.

 _Hah, Baraqiel is the same as always, destroying armies upon armies that stands between him and his target_. _It would seem once more I failed to kill him, but once more I'll escape. All I need is just need one opportunity, one distraction…_

"I hope you are ready to die Olran. Your barriers will hold me back no longer."

"Ah, my dear Baraqiel, I beg to differ. You may escape me once more, but don't worry, I'm a patient man. I can always kill you on a later date."

"Me escaping you? Hah! You are on your last dregs devil. You have but two bouts left coward."

"Is that so?"

Baraqiel, nonplussed by his foe's unusual confidence shifted his stance once more, preparing multiple spears of light to skewer his foe, only to see multiple spears of light bombard Olran from behind.

" **What the hell!?"**

Jumping aside, Olran fired his signature purple bolts of poisoned magic towards his attackers, only to neglect Baraqiel.

A costly mistake.

A bolt divine lightning bisected him from the waist, shock adorning Olran's face as his newly divided body fell to the ground.

Walking forward, Baraqiel stood before his weakened adversary and prepared one final spear of light before a panicked shout stole his attention.

"Baraqiel, we need to retreat, immediately!"

Baraqiel raised his brow in confusion at his ally's call.

"What's wrong Hinata? Are their numbers even greater than we expected from an ambush?"

"Yes, but more importantly we need to return home! We just received a messenger bird from our families, the conservatives allowed a force of Devils to cross their territory unopposed. Our homes are in danger!"

"Suou, you petty bastard."

"We can address his treachery later Baraqiel, for now we need get out of here! Most of our companions are pinned down near the entrance of the fort, we need to break out now before it is too late!"

 _Heh, and with that I'm safe._

Olran's body faded into the shadows beneath him, melding into the darkness that lined the halls of the besieged fortress. His baritone chuckling alerting the distracted Baraqiel that he missed his opportunity to slay his old foe.

"It would seem I win again Baraqiel. I wonder if your wife and daughters are enjoying the _**tender**_ embrace of my son. Perhaps they will gift me with grandchildren?"

In his fury, Baraqiel launched countless spears of light and bolts of divine lightning throughout the fortress, slaughtering countless yokai as the roofs collapsed in on their heads. But it did little to silence Olran's chuckling as it faded into the distance.

"I need to leave, now."

"I understand Baraqiel. Can you blast a path forward for our surviving comrades to escape from as you fly?"

"Yes."

"I'll inform the others, GO! We can take care of ourselves!"

Nodding, Baraqiel tapped into his reserves, and unleashed a wave of purging light, utterly annihilating all before him. Then, as he took to the air, the flung more bolts of lightning upon any foolish enough to stand before his sight. In the wake of the devastation, the surviving practitioners charged their disoriented foes, carrying their wounded and dying comrades to safety. Their enemies, weakened and disoriented at the unexpected power of their invaders, could do little to oppose them. The few that could, quickly found themselves cut down under a barrage of the Himejima arts and spears of light.

The progressive Himejima escaped with their lives, but they found little joy in their survival. Two thirds of comrades were slain or wounded, and fear for their families spurred them on without rest. All the while, the Oniyama-kai watched their foes flee before them, but they too found little reason to cheer. Despite ambushing their invaders, they lost half of their men, and all of their devil allies. Their fortress lay in ruins, and their leadership ravaged. They were vulnerable, and they knew it.

* * *

Away from the burning fortress, a dark bulge drifted between the shadows of the trees. Olran's intangible form shuddered in pleasure as he fled through the darkness.

 _Hehehehehehe! Baraqiel you idiot. I'm going to relish your suffering. I wonder if his anguish will be enough for him to go berserk and attack the underworld? Having a new war start so soon would please my 'comrades'. Maybe I could get a promotion among the loyalists? Even if he doesn't start a war, striking a blow against the Fallen filth is always a plus. Now all I ha-_

Olran's chain of thought ended as he ironically found himself chained in a barrier.

"Ho? Is that Olran? I must say you really are predictable. Fleeing into darkness once your scheme has been discovered. You were a perfect tool for our use."

"Tsk, release me cowards! Or feel the wrath of a Valefar!"

"Your threats mean little to us, schemer. You lured our traitors into a trap and weakened them for us, all the while thinking that it was your plot, your genius. What foolishness. A schemer must always realize that he himself can fall into another's scheme."

"I see. Himejima Minato, a member of the orthodox faction of the Himejima clan. What? Did you expect Baraqiel to fall by my hand? Hah! You morons! He lives, and soon he will come for you."

 _There we go! I've found a flaw in their trap. All I have to do is find a moment when they are distracted and I will be free once more._

"Hardly, perhaps he suspects there is a traitor, but he'll fight beside us in a crusade to kill you idiotic devils."

"And who is the idiot now? Baraqiel fled as soon as he heard from the progressives on how you let my son through. You can't blame a single traitor if **the entire territory of your rivals allows the enemy to sack your home.** "

"What?!"

"It would seem you were more careless than you thought, a messenger bird from the progressives made its way into the battle. You 'treacherous' kin are on their way back to defend their homes. I wonder who is the better plotter now?"

"You lie!"

"Do I?"

After a moment of tension, the practitioner binding Olran looked down, his brow furrowed in thought.

 _Here's my chance!_

Forcing what was left of his energy through the flaw, the chains binding him to a sealing barrier shattered. Olran dived forward, eager to re-enter the shadows. Only for him to be swallowed by light once he reached the shadow. Screaming in pain, he slowly disintegrated as the purification worked its way through his wounds.

"Idiot, like our seals would have such obvious flaws. You truly are predictable."

Unconcerned, Minato motioned to his hidden compatriots.

"Come brothers and sisters, today the Oniyama-kai falls! Let us finish what our heretical brothers could not!"

Cheering, the force of nearly 200 hundred practitioners advanced to the burning mountain fortress.

 _The devil must have been lying. No messenger birds entered the airspace of the Oniyama-kai nor does Baraqiel's home border any of other progressive households. The devils should have entered only through orthodox territory, so no heretical eyes could have found out about their attack until after the fact._

Shaking his head, Minato focused his attention to the burning fortress.

 _No matter, killing these upstart youkai is more important now anyways. Father has already arrested that fool Souta, so he can deal with all this political garbage later._

* * *

"I have done what you asked devil, now put my daughter down!"

"Hah, are you really in a position to make demands bitch? But then again, you are finally being cooperative, so I suppose I should reward it. Be thankful for my mercy."

Callously, Begmal threw Ritsuka to the side, slamming her into the wall. Ignoring Ritsuka's yelp of pain, he menacingly stepped forward towards Shuri, licking his lips as it formed a malicious grin.

"You truly are a fine thing. Baraqiel does have some fine taste, doesn't he?"

Smiling Shuri closed her eyes and raised her right hand, as if in prayer.

"Indeed he does. But I must say, you truly are a _**fool**_."

"Hoh? And what makes you say that?"

"This."

Shuri's gohei, which she threw to Begmal's feet earlier, glowed in power as a seal erupted beneath the devil's foot. Chains reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis burst forth from portals that appeared from all around him, binding his limbs. All the while Begmal's eyes widened in shock before quickly morphing into annoyance.

 _Is that all? A barrier of this strength I can break through in a matter of moments. Ugh, this bitch doesn't know when to quit._

His aura flared, and the chains that bound him slowly corroded away. But Shuri was unconcerned as she pulled out a hidden talisman from her sleeve. Running to close the distance, she slammed it into Begmal's left eye before firing it.

Screaming pain, he fell to the ground grasping his face before Shuri fired a final shot into his torso. Watching him fall limp, she turned around and limped her way towards Ritsuka. Kneeling, she tentatively petted her daughter's hair.

"Everything is going to be alright…"

 _MASTER! The devil is still alive!_

In horror, Ritsuka turned her head towards Begmal and saw him slowly rise from the ground.

"Mom!"

Seeing Ritsuka's fear, Shuri instinctively grabbed her and rolled to the side, barely avoiding a purple bolt of magic that effortlessly punctured through the wall. Turning around, she saw a battered, bloodied Begmal hovering in the air, his bat like wings appearing behind him. His one remaining eye looked down on her in utter contempt.

"Dumb whore. You should have aimed inwards towards the brain instead of outwards. I was going to keep you alive for a bit, but a warm body should suffice."

"Ritsuka, run. I'll slow him down."

"But Mom!"

"Do as I say! Hurry!"

Without hesitation or waiting for her daughter's response, Shuri bolted towards her enemy, utterly uncaring as two purple bolts of magic struck her leg and lower torso. Then, right as she stepped into striking distance, he disappeared from her sight, only to land a brutal blow to her stomach. Staggering, she could offer no resistance before he grabbed her head and slammed her into the ground.

Noticing that she fell limp, Begmal pulled her hair to raise her head high enough to grab her throat. Then, lifting her up, he slowly began to squeeze.

"This is how it ends, bitch. Don't worry, I'll tell your husband you said mine was bigger and better than his after I'm done."

Barely opening her eyes, Shuri glared in defiance. Then, when she saw his eyes drifting away from her and towards her daughter, she flicked her wrist and revealed a final talisman hidden in her sleeve. It was the original flawed prototype Azazel showed her a week ago. Using what little remained of her strength, she swung her arm into the shoulder of her hated enemy and filtered the last dregs of her power into it.

The resulting explosion blasted the two apart.

 _Master, we need to run! Don't let Shuri's sacrifice be in vain! The devil is still alive!_

Ignoring the spirit's advice, a horrified Ritsuka ran to her fallen mother's side. Shuri's face and right arm was covered in burns, and purple veins started bulging where Begmal struck her earlier. Her face was pale and her breaths were shallow.

"Now only if **MY peerage** was worth **half** of that woman…!"

Ritsuka froze in fear before slowly turning towards the bitter voice.

Begmal once more stood victorious over his enemy, but the cost was evident. His body was riddled with burns and holes. His clothes tattered and destroyed. His left eye and his _**right arm**_ were missing. With his remaining arm, a massive magic formula appeared.

"I don't care anymore. You, your mother, and your home shall burn. Then, I'll find your siblings and have my way with them every day for the rest of their lives. After what your family has done to me, you owe me this much. Valefor shall rise again."

Raising his remaining arm, the raw power of an a high class devil was on display as the air rushed to feed the growing purple flames.

 _No, no, NO! I will not let this happen. Is there something, anything that I can do to save mom?!_

Panicking, Ritsuka protectively stood between her mother and Begmal, unaware of a brief flash of light flickering from her right hand.

 _Master, you- No, this is fine. If it's for you…_

Jeanne Alter sighed as a familiar sensation washed over her...

* * *

 _What are legends?_

 _Legends are tales known by many, passed down for generations to come, as feats to emulate.  
_

 _But what of Ritsuka? The girl who saved humanity from incineration? Her feats are worthy of such a title, yet it shall never be known by those she risked her life to save.  
_

 _And yet, she is still a Legend. For those who fought by her side, by all those who reside in the throne of heroes. Her tale, her struggles were engraved into their hearts, to be forever remembered.  
_

 _Ritsuka is a legend.  
_

 _A legend known only by Legends._

* * *

Noble Phantasms...

Representations of a legend's keystones.

Sometimes it is a weapon. Sometimes it is an item. Other times it is a location or ability.

But it is always related to a feat, unique to that legend.

So, what of Ritsuka? A magus who fought in the singularities? Providing mana to servants is not unique. Fighting beside legends of old is noteworthy, but not unique.

No, for she who fought to save humanity, there is only one feat truly her own.

The day she stood alone, facing Goeta, the demon that incinerated humanity. All of her allies had fallen, the world and time itself burning around her. Picking up the noble phantasm of her most beloved friend, a stalwart shield, she stood alone against the demon and defeated him in single combat, undoing the incineration of Humanity, at great personal cost.

* * *

So once more, she stands alone. A child of fallen blood, facing a descendant of the demons that once incinerated the Human Order, surviving only by the sacrifices of others, her foe weakened by the decision of the eldest.

Instinctively, with only a shadow of a memory spurring her on, Ritsuka reached forward, her hands opened expectantly.

The devil watched on, smirking at what he perceived to be the delusions of a dying child.

Once more, the noble phantasm of a beloved servant entered her hands. But it was not a shield from a young servant who stood by her side since the beginning.

No, in this life that right was reserved for one, who sacrificed everything for her.

A flagpole bearing the motif of a dragon answered the call, poised to avenge the woes of its master.

* * *

Begmal furrowed his brow in confusion at the sudden appearance of the banner.

 _A final magical weapon developed by Azazel? No matter, I'll just collect it after the child dies. It is not as if something as weak and pathetic as that could do anything with it._

Smirking, Begmal raised himself higher in the air. And then, flippitantly he swung his arm down, a purple torrent of poison, magic and malefic fire descending down upon the pair, threatening to consume them and the surrounding area.

Confident in his victory, Begmal's mind wandered to other concerns.

 _How do I play off this disgrace? My father will never let me live this down if I don't have a compelling enough excuse. Maybe highlight the fact that it was a secret weapons facility for Azazel and say I lost my peerage and gained these injuries from the resulting explosion? Could work, but I need more…._

* * *

Ritsuka briefly stared at the banner in her hands, before a loud familiar voice yelled at her from within.

 _Master! Stop gawking and hold the flagpole vertically in front of you!_

 _Jeanne?_

 _No time Master! Do as I say_ _ **NOW!**_

Flinching at the intensity of her voice, Ritsuka obeyed and raised the banner before her, its flag motiff fluttering in the wind of the oncoming firestorm.

 _Now pour your emotions, your feelings, your magic into it!_

 _Feelings?_

 _Yes, your anger, your hate, and all of your sorrow! Think about the devil that ruined your home! Remember the suffering of your mother that loved and cherished you to the point she was broken and bleeding on the ground defending you. Focus on the pain you yourself have endured at his hands!_

 _Let the pain be the power for your victory! Let this bastard feel your coming vengeance!_

 _But I… ok… but can you help me Jeanne?_

 _Of course master. Focus on what I've told you, I'll guide your hands this time._

Closing her eyes, Ritsuka reflected upon everything that had happened. Her falling from the sky, her home being ruined, her sisters going missing, her father who had yet to return, and her own mother being struck down before her. Tears began to fall from her eyes as her emotions overflowed,with the bitterness and misery taking hold.

The banner began to hum with power. It drank the negative emotions of its master. It drank the despair and pain of the mother. It drank the rage of a servant forced to sacrifice so much. All of it a deluge of suffering, consumed and converted to to raw power.

As the devil's flames and magic slammed into it, Ritsuka was pushed back. But trusting in her friend, she kept her eyes closed and focused more and more upon her bitterness and sorrow. Confused, Begmal watched as the banner was somehow stalling his attack.

 _What in Satan's name is going on? Bah! I'll just throw more power into it. Azazel's creation or not, the child could not possibly endure so much magic bearing down upon her._

Opening his palm, Begmal willed more energy to flow into his growing firestorm, utterly unaware that the banner was devouring the power of his attack.

* * *

Jeanne Alter smirked at her foe's foolishness. Her noble phantasm found a new source of negativity to tap into. An enemy of an enemy is a friend.

Would a peerage of devils view the King that abused and betrayed them as an enemy or a friend?

Their resentment and despair flowed into the banner, humming and throbbing in power as the sheer weight of the negativity around them threatened to spill over and engulf the area in vengeful fire.

 _Master, it is time. I'll guide your hands, just be sure to say the words I impart to you of your own will._

 _Ok Jeanne, I trust you._

 _Thank you, Master._

Bitterly smiling, Ritsuka swung the banner, dispersing the wave of purple fire before its remnants were also sucked into it. With a flourish, she ignored the indignant gasps and shouts of Begmal and opened her eyes, her bronze irises replaced by the purest of gold. Lifting the banner high, she spoke softly, uttering a phrase nearly inaudible to the heightened senses of the devil.

But it was one that would eternally engraved upon his wretched soul in the final moments of his fleeting, miserable life.

" _ **La Grondement Du Haine."**_

* * *

Author's notes

Heya Peeps!

Remember when I said I was going to write a Heroic Reality next? Well for some reason I couldn't write anything good because I lacked inspiration. So instead of releasing a subpar chapter I decided to write another chapter in this story so maybe I could get it out of my system and work on my other stories. The next chapter or so should be the last of this childhood arc before the proper start of the DXD story.

Oh and right now I'm fighting with the state because they want me to do jury duty even though I'm in school, specifically practicum I to be a teacher. That's right, I'm in school to be a teacher. Piss me off and I'll give you guys detention and homework.

Or in words my editor would appreciate:

Your king decided that his Shackle subjects deserves more chapters for being so polite and deserving! -Gilgamesh level laughing-

Do not worry Heroic Reality subjects, despite your unsavory fascination with that lowly faker, your king has not forgotten you! Your concerns shall be addressed on your King's prerogative, after he has satisfied the droll ministers in their pointless endeavours to force a king to exercise restraint.

* * *

Editor's Notes:

So, uh, this chapter has been the most satisfying thing this year. More satisfying than winning a 1v2 as a support Leona. I was reading this while listening to some swaggin' music by Masaru Yokohama on loop (because I'm that guy), and when I was reading the part where (hopefully none of you read these first, so spoiler alert, I'll give you five periods to look away….. oooof) Ritsuka was pouring her misery into Jeanne's banner, and the first climax synced perfectly with the lines. Fun times, almost nutted profoundly.

Regardless, hope you all enjoyed and the fans that are waiting for the next chapter of "A Certain Heroic Reality", be prepared to relish in my suffering because apparently the next one is gonna be somewhat… long.

Stay true my dudes. Ryousuke… going back into Soul Calibur to create more characters (fml),

* * *

Author's response

Pst… you guys should challenge him to make characters in the reviews after you comment on the chapter! xD

(Totally shouldn't tell him to look up his name for a Sonic OC and ask him to recreate it.)

Editor's response:

Heccin' bet boiiiiiii

(And I already did part one of that bs. Never again.)

Response to the Response:

Do not worry my loyal subject, your king shall undertake this task for you once more and deliver the results to you via discord. Thank me for my graciousness.


	7. Chapter 6: A Family's Collapse

A Family's Collapse

 _When… when will it end?_

The tattered remnants of Begmal's mind reeled in pain under the hell that was **La Grondement Du Haine.**

 _When the child, no that_ _ **abomination**_ _unleashed her attack, a torrent of fire erupted forth from the ground around the child, consuming all before it in a conflagration of hate, malice, and hellfire._

Shocked, Begmal squandered precious seconds in responding to the attack. As the heat of the hellfire pressed against him, a panicking Begmal poured all of his remaining magic to form an absolute crystalline barrier around himself. It served him well during the Great War, staving off blows from mighty 10 winged angels such as Kokabiel and Baraqiel.

Yet, it would mean nothing in the face of such overwhelming power. Instantly, it was incinerated, but before it would deal any meaningful damage, the flames withdrew, affording him minimal breathing space as he burned. Taking the moment's respite, he again flared the barrier back into existence, only for it to immediately disintegrate under the domineering power of the mocking flames.

 _That bitch! She's restraining the flames to prolong my suffering! Such arrogance! I shall-_

Begmal's chain of thought was brutally severed by a stake through the stomach. Soon countless other stakes impaled him, each one **barely** missing a key vital that would have ended his misery sooner.

As the stakes burrowed into his cooking flesh, two impulses vied to control of his mind. The desire to end the suffering as soon as possible by resisting and forcing his own termination, against every life form's foundational instinct to survive, even if it is but for a second longer. The clash between the two competing forces wracked his mind as his dying body sent constant messages of pain, every moment an eternity of suffering.

Begmal, veteran of the Great War, disowned son of the Valefor Family, a devil responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of beings from his machinations throughout his life died a broken, insane man.

It took all of 12 seconds.

But the suffering he inflicted could not be sated by the mere 12 seconds he endured in life. No, all that suffering, all the rage were made manifest as the pillars of hellfire converged into an unmatched conflagration, reaching into the heavens as far as the eye could see. It was a trauma that could not be suppressed by magic, noticed by all the mundane people of the region witnessing the night sky turn red as hellfire seemingly erupted from the depths of the earth itself.

Yet while most watched in curiosity to the strange sight, one onlooker with 10 black wings reacted in horror when he realized the flames' origin. Panicked, Baraqiel abandoned all pretext of hiding himself from the public and flew with all speed to the ruins of his home, uncaring of disruptions the sonic booms of his speed was inflicting upon others. As he approached, the flames slowly sputtered and receded, revealing only two bodies intact amongst the burned out ruins of the home.

Fearing the worst, Baraqiel gently landed besides the two, silently praying to the memory of his father that perhaps they still live. His deferred faith was rewarded, as he found his daughter, Ritsuka breathing and alive, collapsed from sheer exhaustion. His wife on the other hand, was deathly pale, with each breath becoming ever shallower.

 _Damn the Valefor! The bastard tortured and poisoned Shuri! Ritsuka will be fine, but where are Akeno and Nozomi? Did they flee? But if I look for them, Shuri will die…_

Looking down, Baraqiel debated within his mind for only a moment before gently picking up his wife and daughter.

 _I must save the ones in before of me. After I get them to Azazel, I can search for the others. They are strong, they are still alive. I know it._

Nodding, he poured all that remained of his power to protect his loved ones as he flew at great speed towards the Grigori headquarters. It merely took an hour for him to reach his friend, before promptly collapsing and falling into a coma once he saw his wife and daughter in safe hands. The Valefor poison was feared in the Great War for a reason, and not even the mighty Baraqiel could endure so long without treatment.

It would be two long years before he would wake once more, only to find a shattered family he failed to protect.

* * *

"What do you mean we have to leave?!"

"Exactly that Akeno. You need to leave his house and never come back. Suou is coming for you, and we cannot protect you from him."

Akeno stared at her progressive relatives as they spoke to her with remorseful eyes. Stunned at being thrown out of her relatives' home, her thoughts drifted back to the events of one month prior: running away from her home with Nozomi in tow, only to witness a hellfire consume their home from a distance. They reached their relatives' home the following morning and were greeted with open arms.

Days later, as the survivors of the Progressives' blotched siege returned home, they came bearing grim news: The conservatives allowed the devils to pass through their territory to attack Baraqiel's home. Their father was grievously injured and poisoned during the siege, but rather than stay for treatment, he flew back home with all his might, only to disappear.

It was the general consensus that the wounded Baraqiel died on the way back home, but without Baraqiel, Shuri or Souta, to act as a liason, the Progressives had no means to contact the Grigori for any information. Between their treacherous kin, the devils and youkai, they were surrounded on all fronts and isolated.

Shaking her head, Akeno looked once more towards her relatives, her quivering voice betraying the sense of abandonment and loneliness that plagued her mind.

"But… why?"

"Because we cannot protect you. We've always been the minority in the family Akeno, and with so many of our practitioners injured we cannot possibly hope to resist. If you want to protect yourself and your little sister, you must flee."

"But…"

"No 'buts' Akeno. We know it isn't fair but this is our only option. Now come, let's show you the supplies we have prepared for you."

Hesitantly, Akeno followed behind, downtrodden and sniffling to hold back the tears.

"Hm? What's wrong sister?"

Looking up, she saw her little sister staring at her in concern, while standing next to two backpacks and a couple of carry-on suitcases. Smiling sadly, Akeno lied to her little sister.

"Ah, nothing Nozomi. I was just thinking about papa…"

 _I can't let her know we are being chased out of this house. Not yet…_

"Oh…"

Nozomi closed her eyes before running forward to hug her sister. The two cried in each others arms for minutes, not caring about the mournful looks of their relatives around them.

"Oh! Sis, did you hear? Our relatives are sending us on a trip! Kinda like a long vacation, right? They asked me to help pack our bags while they talked to you about the more adult stuff."

Smiling stiffly, Akeno tried to maintain the charade just a little bit longer.

"Ah… right."

Akeno looked awkwardly at Nozomi as they parted from the hug, their conversation finally intruded upon by their audience.

"Nozomi, mind helping us check to make sure we remembered everything?"

"Mm! Ok auntie!"

"Akeno, come with me, we have one last important matter we need to discuss."

Nodding, Akeno complied as she watched her uncle pick up one of the backpacks and lead her into the study. Carefully, he opened the bag, revealing several pieces of practitioner's gear such as clothes, gohei, talismans, and a single binder.

Pulling out the binder, he opened it, revealing several important documents, such as family registries, family seals, bank accounts, passports, and the like.

"Keep this binder safe Akeno. With this, you can move throughout Japan, and eventually, the world with these. Without these documents, you will become a stateless person in the outside world, with no protections against the mundane evils of the strewn about it. You need to be just as wary against the common man as you are against devils."

Her eyes wide in shock, Akeno nodded as she watched her uncle place the binder back into the backpack. Her eyes furrowed into curiosity as she watched him reach into his pocket and hand her a wallet.

"And finally, take this. It has 50,000 yen inside, as well as debit cards and IDs for both you and Nozomi. This is just as important as what is in the backpack so take care of it, understood?"

Timidly, Akeno grabbed the wallet and stared at it. Just in cash alone, it was more money than she ever dreamed of holding.

"Oh, just in case you don't know how to use a debit card, you place it into an ATM and enter a pin number. In this case, the number is the day and month of Nozomi's birth. Use this sparingly, as debit cards can be tracked unlike cash. Whenever you use it, leave the area and move to another region, understood?"

"Yes Uncle."

"Good, and lastly, the money in that account will last you years if you spend it wisely. Your mother and father placed all of their savings into this account, and we wiped out our own savings to bolster it. It is just short of 12 million yen in that account."

With that, Akeno's knees nearly gave out. Looking into her Uncle's eyes incredulously, she could barely bring herself to ask.

"W-why?"

"Akeno, while we may lack the strength to protect you, but we love you. You and Nozomi are our beloved nieces. We are family. And family does whatever it can to support and help each other. If we cannot shield you from the coming threats, we can at least provide you a means to escape and find your own happiness."

Tears began to form in his eyes as he gazed into the tears of her beloved niece.

"Akeno my child, all we ask is that you and Nozomi grow to become beautiful women content and happy with your lives. To know the joys of raising a family, to feel the absolute safety of living with your loved ones, as your parents once did with you and your sisters. Promise us that you'll do all that you can to find that happiness."

"I… I will uncle."

Kneeling down, he embraced his niece in a tight hug, tears now unashamedly streaming down his face.

"Good, I love you Akeno."

"I love you too Uncle."

* * *

"Have they left?"

"Yes, Nozomi and Akeno have just taken the train to Nara. From there, I do not know where they will go."

"It matters not, as long as they are away from here before the fighting starts."

"Indeed. It is strange, knowing that we will fight in an unwinnable war."

"Unwinnable if you make the victory condition defeating the enemy. Merely change it to 'protecting our innocent children from men shaped monsters', and it is doable."

"Indeed. Baraqiel, Shuri, and Souta may be dead, but most of the children yet live. Our legacy will not end here."

"Still, why make it sound as if we weren't going to fight?"

"And make the children feel guilty? They have enough to worry about as is. Perhaps in the future they will learn. But not today."

"Fair enough. How long until Suou arrives?"

"Either tonight or tomorrow."

"I see."

Raising a cup, Akeno's uncle looked at all of practitioners gathered around him. Men and women, many of whom were still recovering from the previous battle. Their bodies were broken, but not their spirits. Nodding, they followed suit, raising their cups and together in one voice chanted,

"For the Fallen!"

* * *

 _Days after the Siege of the Oniyama-kai_

Souta paced alone in his cell, constantly contemplating the next steps required to pacify the clan and reunite it. It wasn't until he heard the door above open that he stopped. Forcing a small amount of energy into the wall, the hidden ofuda and talismans in the cell began to record.

 _Hm? A progressive seeking to free me with force? Well then, lets see how much information I can lure out of them._

Sitting down, he looked expectantly past the bars, only to be greeted by his older brother, and a gaudily dressed man with Blue hair and orange eyes.

"A devil! Here? What is the meaning of this Jirou?!"

"What, can't an older sibling visit his dear, imprisoned younger brother?"

"Not while standing next to an enemy of the clan. We have just spent _**years**_ reducing the influence of the devils in Japan, and now you bring one inside our very home?"

"Heh, how hypocritical of you brother. You invited the Grigori into the family, so what is wrong with me inviting the devils as well?"

 _Jirou doesn't know the truth. It would seem Father stuck to my advice. Only Minato has an inkling of the truth and he can be trusted. Hmm… I will not be leaving this conversation alive, I'm sure. Jirou may be arrogant and stupid enough to let me live, but this devil is not. Let's see how much information I can lure out of this traitor before I go._

"Baraqiel married into the family. He effectively left behind the Grigory to join us and serve our cause. I can hardly see this smug devil doing the same for us."

Brow flickering in annoyance, the devil finally spoke up.

"This devil has a name, mortal. It is Daelris Maestreif. You should be honored to be in the presence of a high class devil of such stature."

"Oh? But your aura seems so, shall we say, underwhelming in comparison to Baraqiel. Tell me brother, what can this devil offer us that Baraqiel cannot?"

"Power."

"Really, Jirou? _**Really?**_ "

 _Jirou you fool. Such deals always comes with strings attached. Why do you think a 'Deal with the Devil' always ends poorly for the mortals?_

Jirou winced at the disappointment and sarcasm oozing from his imprisoned brother, while Daelris, standing behind Jirou smiled smugly, signalling to the wiser brother his suspicions were true.

"Hah… even with a devil at your side, what use will power afford you? You are but one man against a clan backed by the Grigori and Baraqiel."

"Ah, so you haven't heard then. Baraqiel has fallen in battle, and your allies in the clan are bloodied and weakened. Your faction has no power left, little brother. The family members wise enough to see the truth are already flocking to us. A full fifth of the clan follows me now brother, compared to the measly tenth you hold.

 _That tenth were the open supporters. In reality, the progressives were a full third. This is bad. Together that means just over half of the Himejima clan has fallen under the sway of heresy, whether it be devil or fallen._

"So? You are still massively outnumbered by the Clan."

"Perhaps, but once I become the successor it will not matter."

"You? Successor? Not even Susano'o himself would be able to come up with such a joke. You are far weaker than I, brother. The Vermillion Bird would not choose a traitor like yourself."

"And that is where you are wrong, brother. You and Father both believed that strict adherence to the old ways and power is what is required to inherit the sacred bird's energy. In that, both of you are wrong. The bird merely chooses whoever is the most powerful of the Himejima blood. And with Lord Maestreif's support, that will be me."

Narrowing his eyes, Souta glared at his _**former**_ brother in contempt.

"Lord Maestreif? You already serve a devil? You treacherous dog! If Father and the conservatives fail to kill you, my progressives will!"

"Heh, heh. Hehehehehehehehe! Fool! Do you think I'm that stupid? My agents informed your progressives during the battle of our father's treachery in allowing those strays to attack Baraqiel's home! Your followers are effectively in open rebellion against Father and unified in cause, will bloody the orthodox followers. With so many able practitioners falling to each other, and with Lord Maestreif's blessing empowering me, who do you think Father and the Bird will choose?"

"Idiot. You would enslave our clan to the whims of a devil for the _**illusion of power**_. Even if you succeed, the other clans will strike us down for falling into corruption. Under you, the Himejima we were born to will be utterly destroyed, or enslaved to the devils."

"Pff, what a hypocrite brother. You turned your back on tradition as well."

"Perhaps, but at least our family would be free, masters of our own fate, and not slaves to a **petty devil**."

"Oh please Lord Maestreif gave-"

Himejima Jirou never finished, as Daelris Maestreif suddenly grabbed him by the collar and roughly pulled him back and into the floor behind him, before erecting a barrier to stave off the flames of purification erupting from the cell before them. Grouchily, Jirou glared at the devil's back until his eyes widened in shock of what his 'ally' had shielded him from. Besides a wall of holy fire bearing down upon them, several earthen stakes erupted from where he once stood.

"Hmph, impressive for a mortal. But, it will only take you so far."

Annoyed, the devil raised his palm and gathered a fell blue energy that coalesced into an unstable sphere. Then with a flick of the wrist flung it forward, easily piercing the wall of fire and the heart of the man powering it. Stumbling backwards, Souta somehow stood upright, despite having a hole where his heart once beat.

"How brother… How do you stand? And how did you practice your arts down here, where your powers are sealed?"

"Simple, coward… I am not weak."

Unsteadily, Souta raised an open palm towards his treacherous brother, and then clenched his fist, causing arrows of ice to materialize out of the water in the air and strike the coward from behind.

...only for it to be effortlessly swatted out of the air by the devil. Frowning in contempt, the devil rewarded Souta's efforts with two fell blasts to the knees, collapsing the dying man onto the cold floor of his cell in a pool of his own blood.

"Hmph, now all is as it should be. Let's go Jirou. With this, the progressives will believe Souta was murdered by his own father."

"Heh, fair enough. Goodbye brother, and don't worry. I'll take care of your wife and daughters as a good brother should."

As the two turned their backs on the dying man, they missed the ghost of a smile on his face. And once they left, they most certainly did not see the man dip his fingers in his own blood to inscribe sigils upon the walls.

"Hear me… sons and daughters of the… Himejima… I, Souta… have but one… request… to all those… who… believed in… me. Kill… Jirou… Kill the Devil… but more importantly… protect our children… they are… the… fu… ture…"

Pouring the last of his energy into the wall, the bloody sigils flared in power before fading away into the darkness. As the last embers of his life faded, Souta smiled ever brighter.

 _Good, in a few weeks, a Shikigami will deliver a recording of this to the progressives after it drank enough energy from the leylines to support such a journey. Heh, as always, it is good to have redundancies and backup plans for the unexpected. And with all this energy in the air, the fool and the devil never noticed the recordings. I die content, for I have already sown the seeds of your defeat. Father, Minato, all that I did was for the Himejima. I leave it in your capable hands now…_

Alone in his cell, Himejima Souta died with a peaceful smile on his face. It was said that when his body was discovered, there was an odd sense of serenity surrounding him, as if the living had nothing to fear from him, for he would never become a hungry spirit looking to torment his family.

* * *

 _One year after Akeno's and Nozomi's flight..._

"Were you able to get in contact with the Family Head?"

"No, Acting Head Minato, the traitors have blocked out all communications with the outside world."

"And of the Progressives?"

"Still hostile sir. They know the truth as we do, but are still bitter about Suou's raid."

"So we are trapped. We cannot press the attack against the traitors with the Progressive Threat behind us, all the while, more Devils and the remnants of the Oniyama-kai rally behind their banner."

"What about the other Great Clans?"

"They will not move without a request from Head Suou. That, or we suffer catastrophic losses."

"I see… how mercenary of them."

Discouraged, the practitioners sitting around Himejima Minato fell silent, the air heavy and depressed as they stared at a map of the region. The mournful silence was broken by the bitter laughing of Minato.

"Hah… the Himejima are in a civil war, with **everyone** but our own leader aware of it. Dammit Father, why did you have to personally lead the hunt for Akeno?! Heh… hehehehe… How absurd!"

The others at the table look on in concern at their leader apparently breaking down in front of them, only to stay silent due to their own reservations about the situation.

"Hah, I see… so that is the best way forward. Saburo, Youta, Takara, the three of you will take the train to Nara then deploy multiple long range Shikigami upon arrival. With the enemy controlling and monitoring all routes in and out of the region, expect multiple ambushes. Any family artifacts you think you might need to stave off the craven bastards, take. You will not be staying in Nara long, as your absence will embolden our enemies to attack. After you have deployed the Shikigami, proceed forward to link up with Family Head Suou and his bodyguards and return posthaste."

The three men nodded their heads before glancing at each other.

"Sir, when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Devils are weakest during the day. I expect a list of all the relics required within 2 hours. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Meeting adjourned"

As the practitioners rose from their seats and filed away, Minato closed his eyes and reflected on all that happened on the past few days.

 _To think Jirou would betray us like this, and manipulate our family into war… No death is too cruel for him. Still, thank goodness for Souta's foresight to leave a way to message his followers from prison. Unnerving to know that he pulled it off in the first place, but thanks to his message, the Progressives are merely hostile instead of aggressive. If we had to deal with Progressive raids on top of Jirou's treachery, the clan may have fallen to his coup instead of this tenuous position we find ourselves in. I hope you haven't killed those children yet father, for without them, I fear we may lose the clan itself._

Shaking his head, Minato grabbed a cup of tea and took a step outside, staring at the waning moon above.

 _After Souta's murder, Head Suou informed me the full truth of Souta's role in the family and instructed me to investigate his death. Suiting for that cunning snake. But he would have been a good successor to Suou, deftly manipulating friend and foe in politics. If only he were alive, we could have unified the Himejima against this common threat. But now… who can unite the clan? After the skirmish with the progressives, Head Suou retains his position only due to his power and influence with the family elders. He cannot possibly hope to rally the progressives and the new generation behind him..._

 _How do we reverse this disgrace?_

To his thoughts, the declining moon offered no consolation, fading slowly into darkness.

* * *

"Alright Nozomi, I'm heading out for another exorcism, be a good girl and stay safe."

"OK sister!"

Nodding, Akeno dressed as a shrine maiden smiled and gave her sister a tight hug before entering a taxi. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Nozomi stand on her toes to wave her goodbye.

 _It's hard being the grown up, but seeing Nozomi safe makes it worth it._

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks.

"Right then, let's make this quick so I can cook for Nozomi tonight. How long until we reach the shrine, mister?"

"In this traffic? About 15 minutes. Training to be a shrine maiden little miss?"

"Something like that."

"Heh, how responsible. I bet your parents are proud."

Akeno winced at his words and quickly looked out the window.

"I'd like to think so."

* * *

All alone, Nozomi walked out of the hotel to explore. It had become routine in the months following their flight from the Himejima. Akeno would perform exorcisms to make a living, while Nozomi would stealthily wander the market and shops for sales they could take advantage of.

Their relatives gave them a small fortune, but Akeno was adamant in making sure it would last as long as possible. She would only allow the funds to be used for lodging. Food and anything else, she would pay for herself with the money she earned. It broke Nozomi's heart to see her older sister work so hard for her sake, so she took it upon herself to help in anyway she could.

So, as she did every morning, she wandered the shops, greeting all the employees while hiding from the scary men (Truant officers) who would come and ask her where her family was. Her sister Akeno told her to run away from strangers, and Nozomi was a good girl. After one particularly close chase in the shopping strip, an exhausted Nozomi wandered into a local park only to find a strange sight: two men dressed in black robes, adorned with the symbols of the cross. Normally, Nozomi would have fled and avoided such men, but they were crying.

Her sympathy and her curiosity overwhelming her, she walked over to the strange men, overhearing part of their conversation

"But if you leave Touji, we'll lose what little influence we have in Japan. Our numbers are not legion like in Europe."

"But I cannot bear to be here. After what we did to Masaomi… everything reminds me of it."

 _Did he lose family too?_

"Um… excuse me is everything ok? Would you like a hug?"

The two men stared at the child that intruded in their conversation, specifically her black hair and purple eyes.

 _Those eyes… that aura… a Fallen Angel? Sent here to fish for information about us?_

Glancing at each other, the men nodded before turning their attention back to Nozomi.

"Whatever makes you think that child?"

"Well… you were crying. People cry when they lose someone important to them right? Whenever I'm sad about my family, a hug makes me feel better. So it would make you feel better, right?"

The two blinked in confusion before glancing at each other once again. The grieving man, Touji, flickered his eyes between his compatriot and the child, sending an unspoken message.

 _Let us preach the Lord to this child. A true Fallen will try to squirm out of hearing about his Grace._

"Thank you child, but I can always turn towards the teachings of the Lord for peace."

"The Lord?"

"Yes, the Almighty and benevolent creator of the world. Would you like to hear about him?"

"Mhm!"

"Good, let us start with the tale of Genesis…"

* * *

For hours, the two priests regaled the child of stories of the bible, pausing only when little Nozomi had questions about the prophets, Jesus and his disciples. They soon found themselves enjoying the company of the small child, for such genuine interest in the faith was so rare in their homeland.

 _Huh, the world truly is wide. Everything about this child screams fallen angel. But such innocent admiration for the Lord, no fallen would gladly display respect and adoration for Heaven like this._

"Wow… Jesus was really nice."

"Indeed child. He was a great man. But I was wondering, what do you like the most about him?"

Tilting her head, Nozomi looked up at the priest and smiled.

"The most? Well, he loved everyone, right? So much that he let himself get hurt a lot to protect everyone. Someone who would let themselves get hurt to protect you is family, so doesn't that mean he's family? And you are supposed to love family, right?"

The two priests smiled warmly at her answer, with Touji gently patting the little girl on the head.

"You are such a smart child. You remind me of my daughter"

"Hehe…"

Glancing around, he noticed that the sun was approaching the edge of the horizon, it was already evening.

"Oh my, it would seem we took up far too much of your time little one. It is already evening, shouldn't you run back home?"

"Mm… I have a little more time mister. Big sis won't be home till sunset."

"I see, and your parents?"

Nozomi's one bright demeanor immediately wilted, her eyes watered and she looked down onto the ground, her body trembling.

"They…"

Upon seeing such a bright child becoming so distraught, Touji knelt to lower himself to her level.

"What is wrong child? I'm a priest, it's my job to listen to the woes of others. You've done such a good job listening to me, so would you honor me by allowing me to listen to you? I promise to do whatever I can to help."

"*Hic* Really?"

"Yes, really. I will listen. Tell me, what happened."

* * *

"I see… you and your older sister are brave. Those bad men, you said they had bat like wings?"

"Yes…"

"Devils… Those men are what we call devils. Evil entities that harm mankind for their sick purposes. To be attacked by such things, your mother and father truly must have been good and just people."

"Yes…"

Nozomi's eyes watered at the sincere praise the man was giving her fallen parents.

"Remember when I said I was a priest Nozomi?"

"Yes?"

"Our job is to listen to people, but also to protect them from devils. Tonight, when you see your sister again, can you tell her to meet us in this park tomorrow? If she is willing, we are willing to take you with us. The church is a safe place, we can drive away any devil that comes for you. Your bad relatives won't come for you either."

"Really?"

"Yep, really."

Nozomi's expressions flickered between hope and doubt, unable to accept or reject his proposal. He was after all, barely more than a stranger in her eyes. Seeing her hesitation, Touji took off a glove and extended his pinky.

"Pinky promise."

Smiling as her eyes widen in shock, she eventually wrapped her own pinky around his.

"Promise!"

Ruffling her hair, Touji smiled as they swung their hands and recited the playful oath.

"Ok little one, we'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok mister! See you then!"

As Nozomi ran back towards the hotel, Touji's compatriot walked to his side and sternly stared at the man.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? The girl's father was obviously a Fallen Angel."

"Let not the sins of the Father fall upon the child. Did you not see her reverence for the Lord as we preached to her? Did you sense any of the malice associated with those traitors? No, it is clear that she is innocent. It would speak poorly of us if we prevented those of fallen blood from sincerely rejoining the congregation. After all, isn't it our duty as priests to be good shepherds, and rejoice when we find a lost sheep and return it to the flock as the Lord once did for us?"

"You speak the truth Father Shidou, my apologies for questioning you."

"It is alright Father Saito. To doubt is to express faith, for it means you are thinking of the Lord and how to best serve him. But for now, let us follow this child. The Lord allowed us to meet this child for a reason, and we should see it through to the end."

"Indeed, in the name of the Lord…"

* * *

 _Shit, shit, shit…_ _ **SHIT!**_

Panting, a young Akeno ran through a mountainous forest, her clothes ripped and torn from the foliage and previous battles, her skin glistening in the fading moonlight from sweat.

 _I need to get to Nozomi before that monster does!_

A dark chuckling echoed in the forest, only to be replaced by a dark baritone voice.

"Ah, look at you, puny human. Panting and scurrying about like an insect. It suits you. You robbed me of my meal, so it's only fair that you provide me with a replacement. Your sister will be a tasty snack for sure."

 _Dammit! If I had known that tourist was a man contracted to a devil, I would have never intervened against that stray! Now there's a devil after Nozomi, and I gained the attention of a proper peerage! No… relax Akeno, you can turn this around. Your family in the Himejima gave you the tools to deal with this. All you have to do is keep pace and you can protect Nozo-_

Akeno never finished the thought as the earth before her erupted into jagged spires. Rolling to the side, she felt the familiar signatures of the Himejima artes.

"I see, that bitch Shuri taught you well, Akeno."

Akeno's eyes flashed in fear as she saw an elderly man and several practitioners run out of the foliage to surround her. She never met him in person, but she saw the pictures in her relatives' homes, as well as the descriptions her aunt and uncle gave her. Radiating power, the man took steps towards her, the demonic energies of the devil rapidly retreating at the appearance of such a powerful intruder.

Himejima Suou, head of the Himejima Clan and holder of the Vermillion Bird's power, had arrived.

"It is time to cleanse the family of this final stain. If that foul stray doesn't deal with your sister, you won't have to worry. **I will**. You both can enter the Samsara together."

His power suffocated the air, it was nearly enough to bring Akeno to her knees in sheer terror.

But she did not kneel.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and raised her worn gohei in a purification stance. Suou scoffed at the child, noting the various errors in her stance before pausing as he looked into her eyes. He saw desperation, yes. As well as a good amount of fear. But more than anything else, he saw one emotion that triumphed over the others.

Determination.

Acknowledging her bravery, he motioned for his followers to back off. Seeing the circle around them widen, he slowly adopted his own stance, his aura and demeanor resembling the very mountains around them. Steady, massive, _**immovable.**_

Moments passed in absolute quiet. An unnatural stillness filled the air as all the animals, sensing the danger, had long since fled. The shadows of the forest ever lengthening as the moon waned into a new moon above them, wreathing the region in a familiar darkness.

Then, as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves around them, Akeno's abilities surged forth. Spells and artes used to destroy evil and exorcise spirits were launched in rapid succession. Akeno's words and motions flowed continuously, a river trying to carve a mountain.

Akeno's mastery of the Himejima artes could only be described as rudimentary. A child of only 10 summers could not possibly hope to master the complex artes of such an ancient family. But what little she learned from her mother, she practiced religiously while on the run with her sister.

Blow after blow, arte after arte, Akeno never relented, all for the sake of changing her fate, as well as her sister's. Each strike was filled with the wish, the determination to overturn the cruel future before them.

But the Future refused to change.

Suou merely stood his ground, his aura passively overcoming most of Akeno's attempts to harm him, moving only to parry with a closed fist whenever he felt it _might_ be scratched. But his eyes never left Akeno, studying her movements, judging her every action. After 30 minutes of merely defending, he wore a remorseful smile.

"Ah, if only filthy blood did not course through your veins Akeno. You would have been one of our greatest practitioners."

Nodding in respect, he slowly walked forward, only this time parrying and deflecting everything Akeno flung at him with his closed fists.

"You fight well. Do not worry, I will make it painless. After I am finished with you, I'll hunt down that stray myself and give your sister a painless death as well."

Akeno's breaths became erratic as she desperately used more and more of her family artes. Then, as Suou slowly approached striking distance, she abandoned her spells and charged forward raising her right fist to strike her foe. Only to for it to be effortlessly caught in his hands.

"I find no joy in this child."

"You… will… not… **touch my sister!** "

Flicking her left wrist, a talisman hidden in her sleeve entered her hand. Her secret weapon, meant for the stray devil, was brought to bear. Filtering her energy through it, it glowed a divine light, and fired a spear of light towards her foe. Suou's eyes widened in fear at the sudden attack, quickly tilting his head out of the way and releasing Akeno. A single stream of blood trickled down from his ear, pricked by the sudden attack.

"Impressive child, but not enough!"

Swinging his arm, Suou swatted away Akeno's arm holding the talisman, sending the next spear of light to the side, nearly impaling one of the guards. Then, without giving her a moment to spare, he struck her in the stomach with his free hand, channelling his energy through it and sending the child flying into the trunk of a nearby tree. Collapsing into the ground, Akeno willed her body to rise. But her determination had long surpassed the limitations of her body. No matter how much she struggled, her body would collapse again under her own weight.

"You fought well child. Goodbye, may your next life be a better one."

Closing his eyes, Suou channeled the holy fires of the Vermillion Bird to bear. A massive channel of divine fire gushed forward to devour the girl before it. Akeno closed her eyes and silently cried.

 _Nozomi, I'm sorry. I won't be cooking tonight…_

But the expected heat never arrived. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw an older man dressed in fine clothes standing before her, holding back the sacred flames of the Himejima with a magical barrier. After a few tense minutes, the flames eventually receded.

"Now now, Himejima Suou, no need to be hasty. I cannot allow you to kill this child."

Frowning, Suou glared at his guards, who in turned cringed at his disappointment in allowing an intruder to slip past. His gaze sent an unspoken promise.

 _I will be retraining all of you in situational awareness._ _ **Personally.**_

"And why is that, Bishop of the Gremory? Or should I call you by the name you used before you abandoned your humanity, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa?"

The devil smirked at his words.

"This child saved the life of one of our clients. It would be in poor form to let someone we are indebted to die. Besides, why are you even here Lord Himejima? Shouldn't you be home dealing with the insurrection?"

"Insurrection? The progressives are hardly worth my time. They barely had the strength to stall my pursuit of that child, and after one skirmish their power was proven to be wanting."

Akeno's eyes widened at his words before once again watering in guilt.

 _Aunt, Uncle… they fought Suou to protect me and Nozomi? Don't tell me they died too…? Is my blood really cursed? Will I do nothing but cause suffering to everyone I love?_

"The Progressives? Why would you… Oh my, you truly don't know?"

"Know what? Answer me Devil, I'm not in a kind mood after your intrusion."

The devil could only give a wry smile as he watched a panicked practitioner run desperately to the agitated Suou.

"Lord Suou, Lord Suou, we need to return at once! We have been betrayed!"

"What?! Explain!"

"You son, Jirou, has made a deal with a devil, and he's leading a large force of devils and youkai against Minato and the others! Our homes are under siege!"

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa once again smirked at the scene

 _Good, this gives me leverage. Suou's lack of time should give us the advantage in negotiations._

"Heh, how amusing Suou. The Gremory aren't even involved in this struggle and we knew before you. What does it say about your leadership when even the uninvolved parties knows of your clan's plight before you?"

"Tsk, what do you desire devil?"

"To negotiate for the life of the child you wish to kill."

Glaring in frustration, Suou stayed silent for a moment before begrudgingly speaking.

"So be it. Make it quick, _**devil**_."

"I knew you'd see reason, Rias would you take care of this child while I talk to this man?"

"Mm."

Walking forward, a young girl with flowing crimson hair and a white dress approached Akeno. Looking down on the fallen girl, she had a slight frown, but her eyes betrayed the flaming compassion residing within. Reaching down, she gently grabbed Akeno's arm.

"Can you stand?"

Once more, Akeno tried to push herself off the ground, only for her limbs buckle under her own weight. But she did not taste the earth once more. The girl refused to let her fall. Although her limbs shook from the effort, she eventually pulled Akeno off the ground and slung Akeno's arm around her shoulders.

"I can't have you die here. After all, I need you to live for me."

"Who… who are you?"

"Rias Gremory, your king. But before that, your new sister."

"Sister? What do you mean?"

"Well, after you saved my brother's client, we did a quick background check on you and discovered you were a runaway. We couldn't let someone who helped us go unrewarded so we searched for you. Didn't expect your pursuers to be the head of the Himejima clan though…"

"So you are going to take me in? Despite knowing my history?"

"Yes, the Gremory value friends and family above all else. It matters not where you are from. Once we accept you, you're as good as our own blood."

"Then… then would my sister also count as yours?"

 _Maybe… maybe we can save Nozomi! I'd have to put my trust in this devil but, what choice do I have!_

"Then please, take my back to my hotel room! Before Suou attacked I was chasing after a stray devil that wants to eat my little sister!"

"Wait, what?!"

The pair stumbled at Rias's shock. Akeno, feeling the tinges of hope looked up at her savior with pleading eyes.

"Please…"

"We need my brother's bishop for help, let's go back."

Nodding resolutely, Rias started walking them back.

* * *

Himejima Suou glared at the pair as they walked away before shifting his gaze to the insufferable bishop that stood in his path.

 _It would not be a sure thing, but I could defeat this devil before me, but provoking Sirzechs' wrath would be suicidal to the clan. Besides, with my son's, no, with Jirou's treachery, I cannot afford injury, not now. But how to negotiate... The devil knows time is on his side…_

Suou furrowed his brow, pondering a way forward until he heard Rias cry out "Wait, what!" in the distance. The bishop turned away to face Rias, missing Suou's sadistic smile.

 _Ah, that's right, the other sister. We never did stop that stray, did we? Heh, time is now on_ _ **my**_ _side. But even so, knowing the Gremory's reputation, they won't surrender the girl. Best if I focus on isolation and quarantine then._

Watching the pair hobble back to negotiating parties, Suou spoke sternly, barely hinting at the hostility underlying it.

"It would seem _**devil**_ , that you too are pressed for time. In the interest of saving time, this is what I propose. The brat and her sister shall **never** return to the Himejima lands, nor bear the Himejima name once they reach of age. They will bear the Gremory name, and Gremory name alone. They are to have no contact with with any family members they may have had when they once bore the name Himejima. In return, the Himejima clan will never pursue nor engage in any hostility towards the sisters, barring self defense. This oath shall be binding, and shall never be rescinded without the consent of the Head of the Himejima Clan."

Shifting his gaze towards Rias, Suou took a step forward, his harsh gaze staring down at the young girl.

"Do you accept, Heiress of the Gremory?"

"Yes, on my family name I swear."

"Very well."

Turning his back towards the devils, Suou motioned to his followers to disperse. They had a war to wage.

* * *

After confirming the Himejima had fled, Rias and her brother's bishop created a teleportation circle to return to the town. Immediately upon their return, Akeno attempted to scramble out towards the hotel, only to collapse once again from her injuries. Without saying a word, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa picked up the errant child and manifested his wings, carrying her towards the hotel with Rias following behind.

...only to find the hotel room door broken down by fang and claw, the Himejima ofuda reinforcing the doors and barriers spent. Akeno's eyes widened at the sight, stunned by the horrifying realization that they were too late. Gently, Heinrich set Akeno down.

"Rias, watch over her, I'll check inside."

Nodding, Rias sat next to the grief stricken girl, holding onto her hands for support.

Yet before the bishop stepped in, a familiar face hobbled out. A stray devil, reminiscent of a centaur but with a body of a demonic boar stepped out. His body was riddled with burns and wounds, with his right eye burned, oozing with the fading aura of holy light.

Taking a glance at the bishop before him, and the shocked girl who denied him once before, he sighed, resigned to his fate before giving them a bitter smile.

"Well then, looks like I won't make it here alive. Heh, matters not. That little bitch put up quite the fight for a child. Wasn't expecting the holy light in the eye though. Oh well, it was a meal to _**die for**_. I wish you guys could have had a taste, she was positively _**delectable.**_ **"**

At his words, the light died in Akeno's eyes as she looked at the ruined door, eyes glazed over in grief. All the while, Rias stood up in absolute rage, her power erupting nearly uncontrollably. Her eyes were promising nothing but a messy death.

"Heinrich. Keep him still."

Nodding silently, the bishop accepting, magical formulas appearing around the stray, chaining it to the ground. The stray, knowing the futility of struggling, only laughed at the face of his approaching death.

"Heh, hehehe. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I MAY DIE BITCH, BUT KNOW THIS... YOUR LITTLE SISTER IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"Silence, _**filth**_."

The Gremoy's power of destruction washed over the foul devil, slowly annihilating it, as well as the door and the walls behind it, revealing the aftermath of the attack behind it. The room was ruined, the beds ripped to shreds with several spent ofuda littering the floor. But at the back of the room, next to the bathroom lay little Nozomi's clothes, ripped, tattered, and soaked in blood.

Rias flinched at the sight before turning attention to her newest servant, a girl her age, whose lifeless eyes begged for the release of death. Speechless, Rias walked to her side and gave the girl a tight hug, ignoring the utter lack of reaction.

"Let's go home."

Once more, a teleportation circle appeared beneath Akeno, but once more, she merely stared blankly ahead.

* * *

It would take over a year of Rias's relentless care and fretting for the girl to return to life, to smile once more, even if only for a moment.

Surrounded by the love of her new family, Akeno took to the lessons of high class devils to great effect as she slowly overcame her depression. But she could never forget her first family, whenever her black wings manifested, or her holy lightning would materialize. Memories of all the happy days lost would assail her, to the point where she swore only to use the demonic magic born from her reincarnation.

As Rias's peerage grew, Akeno welcomed the new additions with open arms. She saw reflections of her loneliness and sorrow in the eyes of each child her king rescued, and soon saw each new addition as a new sibling to her family.

Yet, even though she began feeling satisfied with her life, it never filled the dull pain in her heart. Her longing for her little sisters lead her to care for all female underclassmen in Kuoh academy after she enrolled with her king's peerage, much to the delight and gratitude of the students.

But despite her best efforts, Akeno could never fully dispel the air of melancholy that surrounded her. Even after being regarded as one of the great ladies' of Kuoh Academy, one moniker always seemed to follow her.

The Beauty with the Hollow smile.

* * *

Author's notes

You know when my editor read Begmal's death, he asked:

"But what would cooking devil smell like?"

I responded:

"Imagine pork, for he was a pig in life."

That aside, heya peeps!

Just started my next semester for my masters program, and holy crap! To paraphrase what my professor said on the first day:

"This is hell you are walking into. In this course alone, you will be doing more work than in all the masters level courses you have taken over the past few years combined."

So yeah… there is going to be a slow down on my release schedules. I'm going to try to release the next Truth chapter soon, and in that author's notes I have to explain a lot of things, seeing how I didn't explain the events that occured that well and caused A LOT of misunderstandings.

That aside, what do you guys think of this chapter? Longer than normal, but I couldn't find a good point to divide it without making the chapters seem fillery or way too short. Next Shackles chapter will be the start of the proper story.

Oh, important question because both my editor and I couldn't' find the answer…

How old are the main characters at the start of Highschool DxD? It would be nice to have so I can measure out the years properly.

And in case any of you were interested, the preliminary poll results were in a word, interesting. Initially, the Campione story was the most requested followed the dragon saint. For a few weeks, the infinite stratos story was in 4th place edged out by the lord marksman story, with the golden ending being dead last.

Then, once I mentioned the poll to you guys, Dragon saint and Campione vied for the top spot, and infinite stratos fell to the bottom. Oddly enough, heir of justice was second to last for a while and marksmen was in 3rd place, but there were minor fluctuations. Then, once I told the truth fans, dragon saint skyrocketed, and heir of justice and golden ending briefly passed campione before Campione climbed back. As it stands now, here are the results:

Dragon Saint DXD

The Eldest Campione!

In the Wake of the Golden Ending

The Heir of Justice

The Knight of the Bow and the Lord of the Bow

The Legacy of Crimson

I'm going to keep the poll up for a while longer, because the results are **still** in flux and they are all within striking distance of each other. Except Legacy of Crimson. You guys don't like that one for some reason now. lol.

Lastly, initially, Shuri was going to live, but so many people said she died and I don't want to make you guys liars…

:D

* * *

Editor's Notes:

Never look back on your Dark Ages… all that awaits you there is the shame that such a time in your life existed.

"There is no sight of maturity, there's nothing resembling an education, there is no sign of growth. All I can see is _constant_ , **unwavering** , _**BALLS TO THE WALL DEGENERACY!**_ " -Editor to friend as he looks through his own shame.


	8. Chapter 7: The American Intervention

"What the hell Azazel! The fight is finally starting to heat up against the Utsusemi Agency and you're pulling me out? That scrub Tobio and the others can't handle this by themselves, y'know!

Inside the Grigori headquarters, a certain white haired youth exploded in rage against a sketchy looking blonde and black haired man in a worn haori. Against his fury, the older man wore a knowing smirk as he rubbed his chin.

"Only temporarily. I wouldn't ask you to come back if it wasn't important, Vali. Ikuse-kun and the others will be fine by themselves for a week or so. We are still in the preparation phase anyways. Besides, I thought you didn't care about him. Why are you so suddenly concerned about staying by his side?"

"Tsk, he may be an idiot and a scrub but even he doesn't deserve to die. Besides, fights tend to come to him. Makes things fun."

"Ah, look at my little Vali, being a total tsundere."

"SHUT UP OLD MAN!"

"Your adorable nature aside, I needed you to come back ASAP because Ritsuka is going to be going head first into danger soon and you are the only one I can trust to protect her."

At his words, Vali's rage subsided as it was replaced with incredulation.

"What? What do you mean Ritsuka is in danger? The brat lives with you. No one is stupid enough to attack Governor General of the Grigori."

"Not in a few days."

"What."

"She's being sent to America to do an errand for me, and she needs someone to chaperone her."

"What."

"So, I thought you'd be perfect for the job!"

"Have you gone senile old man!? You're pulling me out of a war to chaperone a god damn brat? For some god forsaken field trip?!"

Puns aside, Vali winced briefly in pain upon mentioning the heavenly father, but it did nothing to lesson his annoyed scowl.

"What? I thought you'd enjoy a brief trip to America. Besides, Ritsuka misses you. You're the closest thing she has to an older brother you know?"

"Let me ask again old man. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND!? I finally found a worthwhile fight and an actual fucking war with the lives of people on the line, and you decide to pull me, one of your best fighters available out of it to BABYSIT a brat!?"

"Wow, how cold blooded of you Vali. I didn't think you the type to let someone you consider family to be assassinated. Ritsuka has a chance to bring her father out of a coma and you'd rather she go alone, in hostile territory, just so you can play around?"

"The hell are you talking about?"

"One of my contacts informed me that one of the Native American gods is willing to aid in the treatment of Baraqiel, but only if his daughter re-enacted one their legends performed a long time ago. It's a now forgotten tale, but it's one of a daughter who heard of a cure in a distant lands brewed by a wise woman. It was in a dangerous land, far past that of her tribe's enemies. No one in the tribe was brave enough to make the journey, so she decided to travel there herself, alone if need be. None in her tribe had the courage to follow her, save for her eldest cousin, whom out of familial love decided to travel alongside her. Facing many trials and tribulations from nature, the gods, and their enemies, the pair reached the wise woman, who out of respect of their ordeals, gave them the cure they so desperately desired. The journey back was just as bothersome, but in the end they succeeded and they lived happily ever after."

"So, why the hell does this matter? Can't we just buy it or trade something for the cure?"

"Yeah, about that... apparently they won't give it to us unless she undertakes a trial like the girl in the story. She won't be allowed to fly directly towards the reservations in America, she has to land in New York City and travel the rest of the way by land."

"New York City? Are you FUCKING serious?! That's one of the few places in America that has a strong Vatican presence! Not only that, it's only a short distance away from Washington D.C., where the headquarters of the American Vatican branch resides at. Add to that the various magic associations, devils, strays, and agents of various pantheons that have also set up shop in the city to assert their influence and we get a bonafide clusterfuck! And knowing the brat, she wouldn't suspect a thing and walk into someone's white van! Sending her there would be a death sentence!"

"Yep, which is why I need you to go along with her. You would fit the role of the older cousin, so the Native Pantheon will have no issues with you providing Ritsuka assistance. And truth be told Vali, we need Baraqiel back before the war flares up."

"Oh? And why is that, old man?"

"The Agency has thrown in their lot with Maestreif's Peerage alongside the remnants of the Oniyama-kai against the divided Himejima clan. At Suou's request, those of the 5 Principle Clans have intervened to support the growing devil sponsored insurrection. It has devolved into a civil war, with the heretic and progressive practitioners of the other families providing financial support for the progressive faction of the Himejima. The situation has deteriorated to the point where Yasaka, the leader of the Yokai in Kyoto is intervening to prevent the reveal of supernatural world. The situation is so dire that the leaders of the Himejima progressives are pleading for our support. The Grigori will not abandon our own, so soon we'll have to intervene ourselves."

"Oh? I thought you were all about peace old man. What changed your mind?"

Azazel's eyes hardened as he looked into Vali's eyes, his voice unnaturally cold and chilling as he spoke.

"This has nothing to do with the ceasefire. Maestreif is acting independently of the Satans. Besides, what I seek here is not war, but an **extermination**. His machinations has led to my best friend in a coma, his wife on life support, and only _**one**_ of his 3 daughters accounted for. The Grigori seek peace and a better future, but I think the world needs a reminder that even _my_ patience has _**limits**_."

"So this trip is to make Baraqiel wake up and lead us into a roaring rampage of revenge against the assholes that tried to mess with us?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"...when do we leave?"

Azazel smiled wryly at Vali's sudden about face.

"As soon as possible, and knowing Ritsuka, tomorrow morning once she knows for sure you are coming with her."

"You already prepared tickets?"

"I had faith in you."

* * *

"So you are certain the Grigori are coming this way?"

"Indeed Your Grace, the spawn of the Traitor Baraqiel makes her way to the pagan tribes of America, seeking a cure for her stricken father."

Inside an office adorned by symbols of the cross and paintings of holymen and saints, two men sat. The elderly man wore a black with red piping Cassock with a pectoral cross around his neck, the other was a young man dressed in a gaudy red suit with blue hair and orange eyes. All seemed right and holy in the room, save for the devil wings the man in said gaudy red suit brazenly had on display.

"The ones in the Dakota reservations correct? Why then, would they bother landing my territory? Wouldn't it make more sense for them to directly fly to those states and take a cab the rest of the way?"

"Apparently, the pagan gods of this land want the Grigori to enact one of their lost fables before giving them the cure to Baraqiel's condition, so they must land in New York and by land, travel the rest of the way."

"Disgraceful, not only did those traitors turn their backs on the Lord, they now consort with _lesser_ pagan gods to accomplish their means?"

The bishop's face contorted in disgust at the thought of his Lord's creations sullying themselves even further by seeking the aid of a defeated pantheon, all the while not noticing the devil's attempts to suppress a smirk and laugh at the irony before him. After taking several moments to school his appearance, the devil finally spoke once more in an even tone.

"Indeed. We can both agree that it is in neither of our faction's interest that Baraqiel return to the world of the living, so intercepting this child should be your top priority."

At his words, the bishop's brow rose in surprise. Leaning forward, he placed his hand upon his chin and leaned forward, sporting a good natured grin towards his guest.

"Oh? I have to deal with this alone? As you said, Lord Devil this is a matter concerning all of us. Why must I deal with this alone?"

"It is simple, Your Grace. As per our contract, I assisted you in rising through the ranks of the Vatican in exchange for non-sensitive information that you can pass along to me as well as three favors. I am calling in that second favor."

"Is that so? Very well Lord Devil, I shall fulfill your request. However, I will still ask as to why, if only to sate my curiosity."

"Heh, very well Your Grace. I currently do not have the resources to intercept the child at the moment. Azazel is not a complete fool, he has assigned a guard to escort the child."

"And? You are a High Class devil with the resources of the nobility. Surely you can overcome a single guard."

"Ah, but therein lies the problem; the guard is the White Dragon Emperor."

At his words, the bishop shot up from his chair, slamming his hands down with a deafening thud upon his mahogany desk. His face showing nothing but shock and fear at the task before him.

"WHAT! You want me to take down a dragon!? Are you out of your mind?! I'm not his Holiness! I don't have access to the kind of resources needed to take down a monster like that!"

"A good thing that your goal is to strike down a child and not the monster itself. That said, there are some hypothetical weaknesses that you may be able to exploit. Our mutual friend, the Grigori, will be able to send you the details."

Taking a deep breath, the bishop sighed and sat back down. His face was still flush and his breathing unsteady as his eyes quietly spoke of unease. All the while, the devil sat quietly with a neutral face, unwilling to comment on the bishop's agitated state.

"Very well, but I will need some additional support with this Lord Devil. Some information about devil activity that I can tie into this mess to give me plausible deniability, should there be an investigation."

"Hmm… a local devil operation which can serve as a plausible information source that created a misunderstanding that caused you to ambush the Girgori... I can manage that. Your information will be delivered via our usual method within a few hours. It should be enough time for you to plausibly raid an operation and prepare for the trespassers."

At his words, the elderly man nodded and sighed in relief, pausing to glance at the clock set above his office door.

"Good. It is time for you to leave now anyways. Some of my less trustworthy subordinates should be arriving momentarily and I don't wish to cause yet _another_ tragic accident."

"Say no more, friend. Until next time."

With a bow, the devil disappeared, the bright glow of a teleportation circle whisking him away as someone knocked on the door.

* * *

At a certain international airport, Vali could only sigh in annoyance as his rubbed his wrists while being escorted out of the TSA detention by unamused police officers. At his side was an annoyed Ritsuka, following along with a black duffel bag with wheels.

"Ugh… what a pain in the ass. American airports are always such an unnecessary mess."

"It would have gone faster if you didn't threaten to beat that TSA agent to death Vali."

"And he wanted to feel you up. What is he, a pervert?"

"A bored employee forced to check people for weapons."

"Pff, with that kind of security? I could sneak in a bomb if I really wanted to."

" _Vali_... don't say that kind of stuff out loud while inside the airport when they are already mad at us."

"Whatever."

Shaking her head, she grabbed onto Vali's arm and dragged him away, trying her absolute best to ignore Vali's snarls at the mutterings of the surrounding crowd, speculating as to who is supervising who in the pair.

As the two walked out of the Airport, Vali eventually stopped sulking like a petulant child and slowly adopted a stern glare as he surveyed their surroundings, scanning the throngs of people milling about for potential threats to his charge, only for his eyes to narrow upon seeing a black haired teen with purple eyes walk towards them.

"Ah, Vali-sama! You were only 2 hours late. I was expecting the delay to be 4 hours at least from your _charming_ personality."

"Oh, it's only you, Gollethos. What are you doing here?"

"To assist you obviously."

"Uh Vali, who is this?"

"Oh right, you never met this guy before. This is Gollethos, one of the old man's subordinates who works in New York City. Pretty much, he's one of our go-to agents when it comes to North America in general."

"Oh, pleasure to meet you Mr. Gollethos."

"Oho? A child that shows proper respect, unlike a certain wannabe edgy blood knight we both know."

"That wannabe edgy blood knight is right here you know."

"All bark and no bite."

Vali only half-heartedly glared at the cocky fallen angel, unwilling to give the fool the reaction he desired. Ritsuka glanced at the two briefly in confusion before facing the new Grigori before her.

"So, why are you here Mr. Gollethos?"

"To help the two of you on your journey."

Vali's eyes immediately narrowed at his words.

"Oh, the old man told me this was a task for me and the brat, no one else. The American Gods won't give us the medicine otherwise."

"True, but that doesn't count until AFTER you leave New York City. I'm here to take you to your accommodations for tonight before starting on your journey proper tomorrow morning."

"Cool! That was nice of Uncle Az! Come on, lets go Vali!"

"Of course, I'll drive us there. Unlike the hotel, it is nothing special unfortunately. I am trying to keep a low profile you know."

Nearly jumping for joy, Ritsuka grabbed her chaperone's hand and pulled him along to follow their guide, not once noticing Vali harshly stare at their new companion in suspicion.

* * *

"Uh, Mr Gollethos?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you driving a white van?"

"Because they are ubiquitous."

"Ubiquitous?"

"Can be found anywhere. A white van can blend in anywhere in America. They are pretty common."

"Oh."

A few moments passed in tense silence as an antsy Ritsuka wiggled in her seat, trying to get a better view of the city outside while they waited in one of the infamous New York City traffic jams.

"So how much longer will it take?"

"Not sure, could be an hour, could be six. Traffic here could be described as its own layer of hell you know."

"Huh, that bad?"

Ritsuka only continued to fidget around while Vali sat silently, only occasionally opening his eyes to glance at the nearby surroundings as the hours dragged on, with only the honking of car horns and the endless repetitions of popular songs on the radio, until finally, at the darkest hour of the night, just before the coming of the next day, their guide finally spoke up.

"Ah, we are almost there everyone. After a few more turns we should be in the right spot."

Leaning to the side, an excited Ritsuka looked out only to see the drab dark buildings

"Cool! But where is the hotel? All I see are warehouses and office buildings."

With a roar, Vali suddenly opened his eyes and tore through the seat and a magic infused arm swinging to decapitate their driver, only for the Fallen in question to barely dodge the blow with a smirk as his wings unfurled and he flew through the van roof. His taunting words echoed through the deafeningly still and silent night in New York.

"Can a dragon that destroys protect a new witch? Let's find out, shall we?"

"Fuck, I knew it! Traitor! Ritsuka, get down, NOW!"

Immediately obeying, she closed her eyes and curled into a ball on the van floor. The light of Vali's wings bathed her in magical energy as he formed a demonic barrier around himself and his ward. Not a speck of fear adorned his face as rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire rained down upon the van.

"Fools. Divide… Divide… Divide…"

 _Tsk, if it were just myself, I wouldn't even need to bother dividing their power like this. But I'm not risking Ritsuka, not like this. These cowardly bastards are targeting her for some reason. They WANT_ _me to charge forward so they can take her out. Hmm… so what is the best way forward? These cowards need to die, but after Ritsuka is safe._

Narrowing his eyes, Vali scanned the buildings around him, raising a brow to the occasional different colored spears of light lobbed towards Ritsuka and the holy sacraments of exorcism launched from the various buildings.

"Oh, so there's more than one traitor working alongside the church. Oh well, they'll die all the same. I'd rather not have to use my dragon scale though… using it on such small fry would be embarrassing… Hmm... "

As he stood amongst the ruined remains of the van with his ward, musing on the best way forward amongst the cacophony of war and ruin clash with is barrier, he failed to notice the widening eyes of terror on his ward's face as she looked upon his back, protecting her against the dangers of the world. Memories of mother and her ruined home began flashing before her eyes.

 _No… no…_ _ **NO! NOT AGAIN!**_ _Jeanne, Jeanne alter! Where are you?!_

 _Here master, I never left your side. I'm inside you now remember?_

 _Bad guys… they're!_

 _Yep, traitors are trying to get your family killed again, with_ _ **'holy'**_ _men judging an innocent girl to burn for their own purposes. It's sooner than I expected, but I have faith in you, we've been practicing for this remember?_

 _Just imagine a trigger to turn on my circuits and focus on the armor you wear in my dreams, right?_

 _Bingo. Let's go master! Tonight we'll see how well these traitors and_ _ **'Holy'**_ _men_ _ **BURN.**_

Ritsuka closed her eyes, remembered the final stand of her mother all those years ago, her protective back standing between Ritsuka and all that would harm her. At the image, her circuits flared into existence as malefic mana exploded out of her very being, a black armor and mantle materializing onto her, followed by a sheathed sword upon her waist and a dragonic banner in her left hand. All looked on in brief silence at her sudden transformation, before beginning their attacks anew with even greater vigor. At the sight, Vali merely raised a brow in curiosity. As Ritsuka slowly opened her eyes, he noticed her bronze colored eyes were replaced with a sickly bright yellow, with a twisted smile slowly beginning to form on her face.

"I see, I see… Once again, idiotic rabble are trying to hurt me by murdering my family before me. Heh, heh… ahahahahahaha! Blessed are the meek? What idiocy! Lies to suppress others, to become sheep before their abusers, their accusers, their killers."

A truly cruel grin adorned the girl's face as an aura of bitterness seeped into the atmosphere. Her furious eyes were all but contained.

"Now then priests, let's see if God truly does exist and is taking your side… I call upon him to protect you from this trial if what you are doing is righteous! May the fires of judgement fall down upon us all, let it be known that those who still stand are just, for God knows his own, after all."

Mana exploded forth from the child, converting into a conflagration of hellfire that consumed the nearby buildings. The sounds of gunfire and holy hymns were replaced by screams of pain and terror as the believers around her died.

"Heh, heh… ahahahahahahahaha! After all these years, nothing has changed! Hypocrites, all of you!"

Bitterly smiling, the golden eyed child looked around her, watching as men on fire ran out from the buildings, rolling on the ground in a vain attempt to put out the flames. Amongst the men was a fallen angel, his wings charred black, losing their former lustrous sheen.

"Ah, the traitor lives. I suppose I have to fix that."

Taking a few steps forward, she looked down upon the Fallen, staring into his eyes as she smugly basked in his ever growing terror.

" **Burn.** "

"Divide!"

She could only look on in utter confusion as her flames were weakened to a pittance by the White dragon emperor. Vali, the man she looked up to as a brother, protectively stood between her and the traitor, shielding him from her flames. Her voice quivering as she spoke his name.

"Vali?"

 _Why Vali? Do you think I am a monster? Why?_

"Vali-sama? Thank you from shielding me from that mons-"

Whatever honeyed words the traitor tried to convey were brutally silenced by a swift kick to the groin by the White Dragon Emperor, followed by another kick to the throat. While the angel writhed once more on the ground in agony from the burns and the beatings, Vali patted the angel down, reaching into his pockets and pulling out a wallet, keys, folded pieces of paper and other assorted items. Skimming through the contents, he nodded before slipping them into his own pocket.

"Ah, there we go. The evidence we need to find the other traitors. Okay Ritsuka, go ahead and finish what you were doing."

Casually walking towards his ward's side, he did not react to the sudden burst of heat and light behind him. Instead, focusing on the small girl before her, whose golden eyes betrayed confusion and insecurity.

"What's with that look brat? You looked like you were going to cry there for a moment."

"When you stopped me, I thought you were going to side with him for a second. I thought you hated me because I turned into a monster…"

Narrowing his eyes, he flicked the child on her forehead, _**hard**_ , knocking her head backwards and staggering her a few steps.

"Are you an **idiot!?** "

Flinching, Ritsuka looked down while rubbing her forehead.

"I have a dragon inside of me, why the hell would I care you have something that hates priests inside of you. Who was that anyways?"

"Jeanne Alter. Remember when Uncle Az talked about a spirit in my old house? That's her."

Vali smiled in interest at the thought of what Azazel considered a spirit comparable to an ultimate class devil residing in the small girl.

"Oho, interesting. We'll have to spar later, she seems strong. But first, let's get out of here. I'd rather not have to explain what happened to the fire department and police."

"But what about the witnesses?"

"Let the church can deal with covering up the supernatural. Not my problem so I don't care."

Grabbing Ritsuka's hand, Vali led the insecure child from the ruins of the van. Sighing in exasperation, he ignored how tightly she clasped his hand, gripping him as if he were a lifeline.

 _Ugh, what an idiot. Fearing that I'd ditch her like that. She's annoying but I couldn't bring myself to hate her. She's good as a distraction when Azazel tries to do something stupid to tease or prank someone._

Shaking his head, he glanced to his side and saw that she was still in her armor.

"Oi, Ritsuka. Your Armor."

"Oh! Sorry Vali!"

Closing her eyes, her face scrunched up in concentration, her amor eventually astralizing in sections before finally her banner and sword disappeared as well.

"Brat, that took you 4 minutes. It should be near instantaneous."

"Sorry Vali! It was my first time doing all of it like that!"

"Then how did you put it on in all in one go earlier?"

"I dunno."

To that Vali could only rub his temples in annoyance, completely unamused by Ritsuka's bemused smile as she began skipping at his side, not once letting go of his hand. To any observing, it looked like a scene of family bonding, of a tired relative trying to indulge his younger charge but failing to hold back his annoyance.

A scene contrasted by the backdrop of a city burning behind them.

* * *

"Breaking news tonight, a massive 3 block fire has happened in the Bronx this evening as the firefighters are hard at work to contain the fires. Witnesses have already confirmed casualties as the victims were rushed to the hospital in critical condition…"

Inside a certain pizzeria open until 4 AM in New York City, a half-dozen customers were enjoying the last call of the night, the final slices of pizza before the next day. Of which, one was playing the news out loud on his phone for his fellow customers to hear.

"Huh, a three block fire. I wonder what knucklehead decided to do something like that? Probably some idiot playing with fire in a place they shouldn't have been. Kids these days."

Shaking his head, an older man passed two slices of pizza to his last customers of the night, a teen with silver hair and a young girl with odd black and vermillion hair. Nodding in thanks, the pair took their food to their seats and tentatively took a bite. The older man could only smile in pride at their reactions, the silver haired teen's eyes widened in surprise as he paused to stare at the slice in awe before taking another bite. The young girl on the other hand had the subtlety of fireworks display. A blush of bliss appeared on her face as she dug into her meal, uncaring of manners as she rushed to devour it, only to pout and nearly cry when she realized there was no more to eat.

"Valiiiiii… Can we get more slices? Or can I have some of yours? Pleeeeeaaasseeee!"

Chuckling softly at the girl's attempts to steal her chaperone's slice, the older man prepared another slice and set down in front of her, gently tapping her shoulder to gain her attention. Ritsuka nearly cheered for joy upon seeing the food, only to cover her lips upon seeing her savior's finger on his lips, making a shush motion. Smiling, she nodded in thanks and devoted her attention to enjoying every single bite. The child sated, the older man shifted his attention to the teen, who was shaking his head in exasperation at the girl's antics.

"So, mind telling me why the two of you are here? Tourist or not, it's way past your bedtime isn't it?"

An annoyed scowl formed on the teens face as he tilted his head to answer.

"Yeah, but our ride got the address wrong, dropped us off in the wrong area, then took off. Been lost ever since. Noticed this place was open and decided to drop by since the kid was hungry."

"Why not just use a phone to get directions?"

Sighing, the teen reached into his pocket to reveal a crushed phone.

"Some asshat decided to run a red light. The brat here wanted to look up the directions herself to prove she could while we were crossing the street. Was able to pull her out of the way, but she dropped the phone and the car ran it over."

 _No need to mention this is Gollethos's phone. He doesn't need to know that._

"Ouch, talk about bad luck. Need directions?"

"That'd be helpful. How do you get to…"

* * *

A polite bow and wave later, the pair left the pizzaria with the others to let man close shop for the morning. Utterly content, Ritsuka skipped around as she followed Vali, occasionally grabbing his hand to let him know she was still around before getting bored and skipped around him once again, humming various OPs of the shows she watched back in Azazel's home.

This was in complete contrast to Vali, who merely walked in silence, unable to contain a grimace upon his face. After walking silently for an hour, Ritsuka looked up at her guardian in concern.

"Are you ok Vali? Are you mad that I got an extra slice of pizza? We can go back to ask for another slice, the guy there was super nice. I'm pretty sure he'd make another on for you. Do you wanna go back Vali?"

"Maybe on the way back. Pretty rare to get food like that."

"Then why do you look us unhappy Vali?"

"We are leaving the City."

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean, that's what we are supposed to do right?"

"Yeah, but how is going to suck."

"What do you mean?"

"The enemy knows we are here, and that our goal is to reach South Dakota right?"

"Yeah?"

"So that means they will have more ambushes for us. They know the old man has money, and that he would have given us funds for our trip, so they'll be expecting us to take a taxi, a train, or something else to help us travel in comfort. They will be expecting us there, so it will be stupid to use those."

"So how do we get out Vali? Walking? Bicycles?"

"Good ideas, but no. They'll have people there watching bridges and pedestrian ways out of the city. We need to take a way out of the city with a large number of people but won't leave us exposed to their agents searching for us out in the open."

"So… what does that mean?"

Vali's scowl hardened at the question, causing Ritsuka to inadvertently shiver at its intensity.

"I really hope they were exaggerating brat… It means we have to take the bus… the long way around. We need to reach South Dakota from the West, so we have to go around then back to avoid our pursuers."

"That doesn't sound so bad though Vali."

"American buses for hours on end? That sounds like preparation for the early levels of hell if what the other Grigori said are true."

"Eh, it can't be that bad."

At her words, Vali only sighed once more, as they paused in front of a lit building.

"Kid, those are famous last words. This is going to suck for sure now."

"Will not!"

Following Vali inside, she pouted at his words

 _This will be fine, right Jeanne Alter?_

 _Master, I'm inclined to agree with Vali, I think you just jinxed us._

 _So rude!_

 _Heh, but not wrong._

Ritsuka's pout intensified at the servant's words, unaware that the staff of the station found it utterly adorable and smiled.

* * *

Author's notes

Heya Peeps!

Sorry for taking so long to update this story. This past semester has been hell, and as those who read my Truth story should know, I've had a rut of bad luck too. (Editor-kun was here) Just add a damaged roof from all the storms ravaging the US over the past few weeks, a loss of internet because of an equipment failure, and a near loss of my summer part time job hours due to a scheduling mishap.

Misfortune aside, I originally wrote a chapter months ago during the semester, but I was unsatisfied with (Editor-kun was here) the work. That chapter takes place after a time skip to the Raynare arc, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong. The writer's block lasted for a few weeks. Wasn't until recently did I realize that it was too exposition heavy as characters were discussing Ritsuka's accolades over the past few years. So I figured I'd write a brief interlude arc to give you guys an example to work with so I can cut down on the exposition.

Oh, and on a related note, I got some PMs and reviews asking about Nozomi somehow preventing Asia from being exiled. To that I say, "Uh, how could she prevent that? She'd be like 12 years old at that point. How will a 12 year old girl tell a bunch of old powerful white men what to do?" She wouldn't even be present in that area. In fact, I'm surprised someone hasn't figured out where she ended up. I left two hints to her fate, one was super obvious in which most of you figured out, yet none of you seemed to have picked up on the other. Once you guys notice it, I think the answer as to when she'll return will be clear. PM me if you think you figured it out, I'll give you a shout out if you get it right next chapter.

As for those upset that I've haven't caused large enough deviations yet from canon (Editor-kun was here), well, in my view the fundamental forces that forced Akeno's flight had not changed. Most of the leadership of the Himejima are staunchly traditionalist, and hated her guts. The fact that this time around more of the clan supported Akeno and her family however, changed the context of her flight and following service to Rias, and from that there will be more deviations down the road. I suppose you could say I'm trying to set up for something cool later.

And holy crap a lot of you have abandonment issues! Saying the story has been abandoned after a few months delay. The only story I'd understand that kind of talk from is Boulder and that is on hiatus due to you guys loving this and Truth a lot more. Might start working on Boulder again after the new Fire Emblem comes out though.

Lastly, wow, the current poll has been crazy. Stories have been rising and falling, with only Golden ending being constantly in first place and Cursed Sword consistently in last pace. All other options have been in flux.

After the next Shackles chapter, I'm working on Dragon Saint next. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Editor Notes:

Well, I'm back at it again. While I've had a craving for Katsudon (thank you Restaurant to Another World), Five Guys works as well. I'm also somewhat part to blame for the delay due to the new updates to games I play, and bless the SEGA for bringing PSO2 to the west.

Anyways, Kovaras really enjoyed putting things in continuous-present tense (using -ing) when they shouldn't have been. Then again, that's part of the reason why I'm here draped in a blanket with cream soda and dirty glasses. Other than that, all there is to say is that we're more or less back (until Shadowbringers, that is).


	9. Chapter 8: The Inquisition

_Ugh… American buses truly are the prelude to hell._

Vali shifted his weight on an uncomfortable seat, careful not to disturb the slumbering child upon his lap, and trying his best to ignore the drool slowly soaking his pants.

 _Dammit Ritsuka! You better not make it look as if I pissed myself!_

At his thoughts, Ritsuka stirred; gently rubbing her cheek against him before settling back to sleep, mumbling incoherently about "Mash" and "Avenger" doing "phantasms".

 _What the hell has Ritsuka been watching with Azazel? Sounds like crappy knockoff of Super Sentai._

Sighing, Vali looked out the window at the passing cars on the highway, doing his best to ignore the cries of babies and the various smells of humanity assaulting his nose.

The escape from New York City was uneventful, with the pair spending the days suffering on uncomfortable budget buses while spending the nights in cheap motels. The greatest hazard on the trip was Ritsuka's utter boredom, which the White Dragon Emperor was ill equipped to destroy. After the first day of being a nuisance, constantly complaining and fidgeting in her seat, she eventually mastered the art of falling asleep peacefully throughout the entire day on the bus.

The only stipulation was that she needed to feel safe, ergo Vali's current status as lap pillow, futon, and stuffed animal wrapped up in an easily annoyed bundle. He endured, however, finding a numb leg a lesser of two evils and head patting the defenseless girl oddly soothing when dealing with the eccentricities of their fellow passengers.

 _At least we are almost there, only a few more hours before we arrive. Then we can fly back, right? They better not say that we have to repeat this 'travel by land crap' again._

His thoughts were interrupted by a child kicking the seat behind him. Only the realization that Ritsuka was still happily asleep on his lap spared the child from Vali's furious gaze and killing intent. Growling, he once again shifted his attention to the rolling plains and cities in the distance.

 _This medicine better be worth it._

* * *

As the pair exited the bus, they were greeted by most eclectic of sights, wide rolling plains divided by roads, both dirt and asphalt while sparsely dotted by buildings, both modern and antique. Their fellow passengers formed groups, gathered around their respective tour guides as they were led away, leaving Vali standing alone with a half asleep Ritsuka, nodding off while holding his hand and leaning on his arm, drooling once more.

"Oi, wake up brat! You've drooled enough on me during the ride, I'm not having you do that to me out here as well! And why the hell are you still tired?! You just spent hours upon hours sleeping in the bus, right after spending a night asleep in a motel. With all of that sleeping, you should be wide awake for the next 3 days."

"I dunno Vali, I'm just sleepy, besides you're nice and warm…"

Trusting herself to Vali, Ritsuka leaned against the taller boy and promptly fell asleep once more, breathing heavily as a familiar wet sensation graced Vali's side.

"Damn brat."

"Heh, don't be harsh on her. Too much sleep has an odd tendency of making people tired."

At the sudden interjection, Vali pivoted towards the voice, carefully holding up an exhausted Ritsuka, only to see an elderly woman standing alone behind them.

 _Where the hell did she come from? I didn't sense anyone nearby neither did I hear anyone approach._

"Be at peace White Dragon Emperor, I am the one who is to escort you to your final destination."

"Oh? Do you mean for the medicine or some poorly worded metaphor for an ambush?"

Frowning, the elderly woman narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"The medicine you paranoid fool. You can expect treachery from the Vatican and the American government, but not from the Lakota and our gods. Now come, I'd rather not walk back home when there is van. And no, it's not a white van like your treacherous kin used."

"You seem to know quite a bit about our journey."

"Of course we do. You are taking a journey under the gaze of our gods in exchange for a medicine and a boon. Why wouldn't we be watching? And I must say, you two did not disappoint. Now come along. I'd rather not spend the entire day out in the sun when there is A/C available, and a nice cozy cot for the child to sleep on while the adults speak."

"Hmph, fair enough."

Nodding, Vali picked up the slumbering child, and allowed her drooling head to rest upon his shoulder, giving the aura of a beleaguered brother. Sighing in annoyance, he casually walked towards the woman's brown van.

"Let's hurry this up, I have other things I'd rather be doing now."

Nodding in agreement, the woman walked before the pair and opened the van door, ushering them in.

"Indeed, time is of the essence, is it not? You are but 20 minutes away from gaining what you desire."

Vali merely sat in silence, focusing more of his attention upon his ward and ensuring she did not fall during the bumpy ride.

 _How the hell can she sleep through this? Is she a genius at sleeping?_

Shaking his head, he merely looked out the window, scanning the horizon for any possible threats.

* * *

After the ride, Vali followed the elderly woman into her humble home, a building barely a step above a trailer, its worn and weathered exterior sharply contrasting its neat, clean, organized interior. Various shelves could be found adorning the walls, each bearing a multitude of vials and bottles with various liquids inside.

Following her into the next room, he noticed a wooden table with a pitcher filled with ice tea, surrounded by simple glasses bearing the symbols of the Lakota people. To the side was the promised cot. Sighing in relief Vali softly walked over and gently placed his ward on top of it, trying is best to ignore the drool connecting her cheek to his shoulder.

 _Dammit Ritsuka! Are you trying to give me a shower with your spit or something!?_

Unable to suppress his eye twitching in annoyance, he cooly walked over to the table where a glass of iced tea was awaiting him. Sitting down with a notable plop, Vali shifted his gaze towards their host, only to see her stare at him strangely.

"I've been meaning to ask this young man but…"

"But?"

"How does that girl stay hydrated with the sheer amount of drool she produces?"

"I have no idea. Weird part is, she only drools on me. The beds in the motels? At home? Nothing. On me? Fucking waterworks."

Chuckling at his answer, the elderly woman shook her head before taking a sip of tea.

"Well then White Dragon Emperor, I know you were expected a god to greet you, but unfortunately none are available. In their stead, I, Mika shall deliver your prize."

Vali's brows raised in annoyance at her words.

"Oh? So we aren't worthy of their time or something? We are too unimportant to be dealt with?"

"Of course not! They merely are not in a presentable condition. Currently, only the White Buffalo Calf Woman is not hung over, and she is needed to tend to the others in their incapacitated state."

A silence descended upon the room, as an incredulous expression dominated Vali's face.

"Wait, what?"

"There was a several day long party after your actions in New York City. It is pretty rare for the Vatican to suffer losses of that level in America. Besides their reputation, at least."

At her words, Vali could only pinch the ridge of his nose and sigh, with Mika sporting a wry grin at his reaction.

"Do not worry White Dragon Emperor, the medicine shall work as intended once I give it to Ritsuka."

"Why Ritsuka? Why not just give it to me now?"

"The legend specified the daughter, as such it will only work if I give it to her."

"Hmph, so why enact this farce to begin with? Couldn't your gods just bless it and we can just pick it up?"

With a resigned sigh, Mika shook her head and shifted her gaze to a nearby bookshelf, filled to the brim with an assortment of books. A profound melancholy filled the air as she spoke.

"Much has been lost, White Dragon Emperor. When the Europeans came, they brought their diseases, their ideas, and their people. Our numbers were culled by smallpox, while the colonists launched genocidal campaigns against us. Those of us that survived then had to endure cultural purges as our kin were forcibly converted to their faith, the _western_ way of life while all that was truly ours was purged by fire and steel. Then we defiant survivors were forced from our lands and into these pitiful reservations. Still we have endured, but much of our culture, our identity has been lost. Not even our own gods can remember all of our tales, our legends of old. When Azazel came to us for help, it kindled a memory in the gods, a tale once lost to us. By re-enacting the tale, the hope was that perhaps the names could be recovered, and through them, more memories."

At her words, Vali became somber, nodding briefly in respect before shifting back into curiosity.

"If you needed our help, why did the old man still have to pay you?"

"It costs money to pay for lawyers. Even today, we suffer injustices, with the American government funneling the pollution and waste of their industries to what little land we still have. With our survival at stake, we cannot afford to let any opportunity for resources go to waste."

"I see, so once the brat wakes up we take the medicine and go on our way. Do we need to go by land again?"

"Unfortunately, yes. At least until you reach the airport. Travel by land until then, and the medicine will be complete. At least this time you can take a more direct route so you won't spend as many days on the bus."

At her words, Vali shivered.

"Must we?"

"Yes."

"Fuck."

Vali glanced at his drool stained clothes and grimaced at the thought of repeating the journey. Chuckling once more, Mika shook her head and offered a lifeline towards the young man.

"Worry not Dragon Emperor, we are not so destitute as to deny our new friends clothing for their journey. We can provide yourself and your ward fresh sets of clothing. Enchanted to whisk away water and any other liquid if you desire."

"Good."

With a sigh of relief, Vali took a step back and gently started shaking Ritsuka.

"Wake up brat! We've arrived! Let's pick up the medicine and go home!"

"Ugh… is it morning Vali?"

Ritsuka was slow to stir, tossing over to her side while rubbing her eyes, unwilling to truly get up.

"It's afternoon brat. After all that rush to get here, now you want to take it slow? The medicine is literally right in front of us!"

At his words, Ritsuka suddenly shot up, slamming her head into an unsuspecting Vali's chin.

"What the hell Ritsuka!"

The pair doubled over in pain, with Vali rubbing his chin while Ritsuka her forehead. They could only glare at the elderly Mika as she refused to suppress her laughter at their antics.

"Hahaha… oh if only you two were my grandchildren. My real ones are nowhere near as amusing."

Shaking her head, she walked out of the room, only to return a moment later with a filled waterskin, with a small white buffalo calf embroidered into it. Her previous jovial demeanor vanished, replaced by a stern seriousness and authority befitting of a medicine woman of the gods.

"Ritsuka, you have travelled far from home, losing everything but your family, yourself, and an earnest prayer to save your father. Your resilience has impressed myself, the spirits of nature, and even the gods. To honor your achievements, we bestow upon you that which you have journeyed so far for. Spill not a drop before it reaches your father's lips, and he will awaken from his eternal slumber, and be at your side once more. Ritsuka, do you accept this responsibility?"

At the sudden change in tone, Ritsuka's glare shifted to that of bright determination. Nodding, she reached outward to accept, while Vali stepped to the side, watching stoically at the interaction before him.

"Yes. I swear that it will reach my father, no matter what."

"Well spoken Ritsuka, with that, I bestow this gift of the gods upon you."

Ignoring Ritsuka's outstretched hands, Mika knelt down and tied the waterskin to her waist, tugging gently to ensure that it would not fall from the little girl's waist. Satisfied with her work, the older woman nodded and returned to her previous jovial demeanor.

"There, the stuffy part is down. Sorry about ignoring you there Ritsuka, just had a feeling you'd drop it in your tired state."

At her words, Vali barked a laugh, much to the embarrassment of an ever reddening Ritsuka.

"Good call Mika! There's a reason why the old man never trusts her in the morning."

"Vali you jerk!"

Unable to contain her embarrassment, she charged at the older boy and started punching his sides. Only to elicit a raised brow from the boy who felt nothing from such weak blows. It was only until she could hear Mika's chuckles did Ritsuka pause in her assault, looking down in embarrassment at the realization that the elderly woman was still there and saw everything.

"Ah, I wish the two of you would stay, but after receiving the new clothes, you'll leave right away, won't you White Dragon Emperor?"

"Yes. No offence to you, but outside of this house, this entire trip has SUCKED. The sooner we get home, the sooner I can rampage."

At his words, a mischievous smile formed on Mika's face.

"Oh? What if there was a way to rampage a bit BEFORE taking the plane ride back… and maybe strike back against your enemies?"

Silence filled the room, as both Ritsuka and Vali stared at her in curiosity. Intrigued, Vali curtly nodded, prompting her to speak further.

"Your enemies should know by know that you have reached your goal and are now returning back to the airport and are setting up ambushes to intercept you. Therefore their homes, their precious cathedrals should be unguarded right now. If you want, we can even provide you the means to attack without consequence."

"Ho? You have my attention Mika. Do tell, how do you plan on managing that?"

Undaunted, the elderly woman walked towards the back of the room and pulled open a cabinet drawer, sounds of miscellaneous items being rummaged around coming immediately afterwards.

"Centuries ago, back when the Spanish Conquistadors were consolidating their rule in what is now Central America, the Spanish sent countless missionaries to convert the Aztecs, Mayans, and others to their faith. Using the defeated peoples as slaves, they built their churches, their monasteries on top of the ashes of the Meso civilizations, and worked tirelessly to strip them of their culture, of who they were to force them to submit to the Vatican..."

Narrowing her eyes, she pulled out a golden pectoral cross, humbly engraved with angels flying towards the center.

"But the people resisted. They placed their idols within the churches they built, and subverted every cross and christian icon they could, ensuring their prayers went to _their_ gods, not the one of their conquerors."

Walking solemnly towards Ritsuka, Mika could barely contain the disgust oozing from her as she placed it in the child's hands, before wrapping her fingers around it.

"So the Spanish Crown sent the Inquisition, armed with the tools to detect the defilement and corruption within their idols and crosses. Filter the light of the Christian god unto this cross and it will reveal all which has been debased."

Taking a step back, Mika wiped her hand on her pants, grimacing as she tried to remove herself of the perceived impurities. At her actions, Vali raised a brow before crossing his arms.

"Cool story. So where the hell did it come from and more importantly, how the hell does this help us attack a cathedral?"

A smug smirk formed on the elder woman's face as her eyes betrayed nostalgia.

"Not every inquisitor's intelligence matches their faith. An arrogant exorcist who attempted to accuse natives alone in an isolated village discovered quickly if his god was true. As for how this helps you, have you forgotten? Your journey is a trial ordained by the gods. All that happens in relation to it will be observed and judged by _our_ standards."

Taking a step forward, Mika started patting the young girl's head, with Ritsuka briefly meeting her gaze before looking back down at the cross in her hands, he eyes full of curiosity and wonderment. Smiling warmly at the child, Mika closed her eyes briefly before turning to face the young Dragon Emperor.

"Little Ritsuka's journey to my home is now a tale, a new bedtime story for those of the Lakota who are aware of the supernatural. As the ones narrating this story, we can see the actions and motivations of all involved characters, including antagonists. Such as a corrupt bishop who colludes with a high class devil to murder the daughter of their enemy. A devil with blue hair and orange eyes."

At her word's Vali's eyes narrowed in disgust as the image of one of the Grigori's most hated enemies appeared once more in his mind. With a cold voice he eventually spoke.

"Explain."

An arrogant smirk formed on Mika's face, knowing full well she has already won.

"The Archbishop of New York City entered a covenant with the devil lord, and at his urging did the Vatican ambush you. In their hubris, they spoke of their plans in St. Patrick's Cathedral, utterly unaware that our gods were watching. The devil lord has long since exited the story, and thus left our sight, but the archbishop remains. He has realized that you must have arrived here by now, and is preparing to ambush you near the airport using the uncorrupted and loyalist exorcists as expendable pawns. The cathedral itself is now undermanned, with most of the remaining forces the traitors of the Church. Using the inquisitor's cross in Ritsuka's hands, you can reveal their treachery and burn them."

"Heh, I see… not bad grannie. If we publicly reveal their Archbishop as a traitor, the Vatican would have to make quite a difficult choice. Do they condemn our actions and march war at the risk of appearing to condone consorting with devils and undermining their absolute ' _moral_ ' authority, or condemn the traitor and ignore our actions, at the cost of undermining their ' _political_ ' authority."

"Indeed young dragon emperor. And although men will always crave political power, what would their heavens, their _**angels**_ deem more important? Mortal political power, or the absolute moral authority of their father?"

Feral smiles adorned the faces of the older woman and the young man.

 _ **Soon…**_

* * *

 _Oh father, who art in heaven, please give this sinner your aid…_

The irony of a consorter of devils praying to god for deliverance was lost on the Archbishop of New York, who knelt quietly before the cross.

A cross he unwittingly allowed to be defiled.

Eventually standing up, he walked out of his office and into the main hall of the cathedral where 4 of his loyal followers awaited.

"Any news from our forces?"

"Nothing, your Grace. Still no sign of the fallen child."

"Odd, they should have appeared by now. Call Father Mckienze, if they do not appear by tomorrow, we'll abandon the pursuit. They must have somehow evaded us."

"Of course your-"

A resounding thud echoed in the halls of the cathedral as the front doors were brutally kicked in, with only the voice of a small child filling the following silence.

"Vali… the doors open outward! You didn't have to kick them in!"

"After all the shit we went through, they had it coming."

"Vaaaallllliiiii..."

The Archbishop and his subordinates could only watch in mounting horror as the white haired teen casually strolled towards them, followed by small girl with black and vermillion hair. The man had a scowl on his face, betraying utter annoyance and frustration, while the girl walked with a small mischievous smile.

"Hmph, so you're the fools who tried to kill Ritsuka. Good. Saves me the trouble of finding out where all of you live."

At his words, the Archbishop's teeth began clattering, and a cold sweat covered his face. But even then, he was able to muster enough willpower to speak.

"Don't… don't think too highly of yourselves heathens! You are in a Cathedral, a bastion of holy faith and the Father's light! A foul devil and a spawn of the fallen have no place here!"

At his words, the few remaining priests and exorcists of the cathedral stormed into the hall, surrounding the pair. But not a single one made a move towards the pair, the memories of the Bronx burning fresh in their minds.

Seeing their hesitation, their fear, Vali barked a laugh before grinning derisively. With arms wide open, he took a few steps forward, the Archbishop retreating farther back after even the slightest advance.

"Yet a devil and a fallen were able to enter with a simple kick to the door. So that begs the question, is this place truly holy?"

"What… what are you insinuating, devil?!"

"Simple, fool. You are a traitor to be judged."

"Oh, a devil thinks he can judge the clergy? Like you have any right heathen!"

"Of course I don't dumbass, but she does. Ritsuka!"

At his words, she took a few steps forward, raising her pectoral cross above her head, her angelic light filtering into the cross of the inquisition.

"Oh heavenly father above, give your sons and daughters sight, so that they may see all that is evil, and safely return to your flock!"

At her words, a blinding light surged forth from the bathing the cathedral. When the clergy opened their eyes, their mouths dropped open in horror. Written upon every cross, every holy symbol of the cathedral, was a devil's sigil, hidden only by the barest of glamour magic, their unholy taint now oozing and suffusing all within. But most disturbingly of all, was that the devil's sigils adorned the pectoral crosses of the archbishops and his most trusted subordinates, while devil's runes protected their priestly robes and cassocks. Only the lowly exorcists and priests who ran in defense of the cathedral were clean of the taint, their voices betraying incredulity and shock.

"Archbishop Eugene… you-"

None could hear the rest of the words, as it was immediately drowned out by a clear and enraged voice, unbefitting the small girl as black armor materialized upon her.

"-are a traitor that has caused the suffering of countless innocents. How many of the faithfuls' prayers went to the Satans instead of the Heavenly Father? How many just men and women did you condemn to death for the sake of your hellish overlords? How many _**burned**_ at your command?"

The Archbishop could only stare in morbid fascination at the girl's changing eyes, now a sickly yellow which promising nothing but suffering.

"I wonder, _**holy**_ men… how well will you _**burn**_?"

Mana flared from her being as hellfire seethed from her steady steps forward, snapping the Archbishop and his followers out of their stupor.

"You… your lies mean nothing witch! May god's wrath fall upon you!"

"Heh, if I lie, then let god strike me down, for he knows his own. Or have you forgotten in your degeneracy, _Archbishop_?"

Unnerved by her words, the fallen exorcists drew swords of light and charged while the Archbishop raised his cross and began chanting exorcism hymns, magical and holy power filtering into the air. Upon seeing their desperate charge, Vali narrowed his eyes and arched forward to intercept the fools, only to stop upon seeing Ritsuka's raised hand, motioning him to stay back.

 _Oh? She wants to handle this herself? Hmph, alright kid, I'll humor you._

Amused, the White Dragon Emperor unfurled his wings and jumped back, next to the loyalist exorcists watching with conflicted eyes.

 _I'll just serve as a deterrent for the fools watching. Now then Ritsuka, give me a good show!_

* * *

 _This… this wasn't supposed to happen!_

The Archbishop's mind raced in fear at the approaching child, her presence all but suffocating the atmosphere. His loyal men, who followed him even after they learned of his friendship with a devil charged forward in a desperate attempt to buy time. But the girl made no attempt to stop them. Instead, she merely raised an arm to block the sword with half lidded eyes.

"Idiot! Even a non-devil would fear being cut by light!"

Two of his subordinates swung in unison, each aiming for a blind spot with every ounce of strength and skill they could muster. Only for the sword to shatter upon touching the girl.

"Your swords will not hurt me."

Taking advantage of their shock, she grabbed two men, the warmth of hellfire in her hands snapping them out of their stupor. They tugged and squirmed with all their might, only for their bodies to be consumed by fire, their screams echoing throughout the hall.

"Dammit!"

Panicking, the remaining two exorcists sprang into action, one drawing a pistol loaded with blessed bullets, the other pulling out a rosary and chanting exorcism prayers. Round upon round of bullets and exorcism spells bombarded the girl as the Archbishop and his minions attacked unrelentingly…

"Your bullets cannot touch me, your words cannot reach me."

... only for her to casually walk forward, utterly indifferent to their struggles as the bullets ricocheted off her and the light dissipated harmlessly. Raising a hand, black stakes formed in the air before launching themselves into the arms and legs of her enemies, pinning them in place. A sadistic smirk callously informing the men to their coming fate.

 _No… not like this… NOT LIKE THIS!_

At his panicked thoughts, the devil's inscriptions woven into his cassock flared into existence, a cacophony of devil magic erupting to protect the contractor. Ice, fire, wind, and arcane energy surged towards the girl, followed by potent curses. Smoke soon filled the cathedral, followed by a deafening silence. All that could be heard was the panting of the injured, and the collapse of the damaged pews, until…

"And no magic can stop me."

Hellfire erupted from the ground, incinerating the two remaining followers before they even had a chance to scream, leaving only the steady clacks of her armored footsteps as she approached the defeated man.

"What… what are you?"

A maniacal grin formed on the girl's face

"Your executioner, _**Holy man**_. Heh, he.. Ahahahahahahahahahaha! What a farce! You, who claim to be one of the shepherds of humanity! Serenading the people with your lies before sending them off to be slaughtered, all the while telling the rest of your flock they deserved their fates for their _'sins'._ Blinding them to your abuses as you use _faith and righteousness_ as hammers against those that see and speak of your hypocrisy! Heh heh… oh I'm going to enjoy seeing you _**burn**_."

A wet stain not of blood formed on the Archbishop's legs as he trembled before the small girl, the pain of his wounds nearly muting him as he spoke.

"Mercy… mercy child…"

Ritsuka's brows raised at his pleading, followed by a cruel grin.

"Oh? Did you forget in your old age or has consorting with devils driven you further away from the light than I thought? Do you not remember the reason for why the Inquisition burned heretics and witches? It was a **mercy** , to prepare them for God's judgement and the time they will spend in purgatory or hell. So there's no need to plead, I am already affording you **mercy**."

"No… no! Please! I'm sorry!"

Closing her eyes in disgust, she turned around and with a snap of her fingers, a pillar of hellfire consumed the man as she walked away. The remaining priests and exorcists parted before her, giving her a wide berth lest they too incur her wrath. As she walked by, Vali merely shrugged at the stunned silence of his traditional enemies before dissipating his wings and moving to walk by her side.

"Not bad Ritsuka. A bit wasteful in your moves there, but you got the intimidation bit down. Wanna get pizza before we go home? Our flight isn't due for another 15 hours."

"Really?! Sure Vali! Let's go!"

With a bright smile, her armor disappeared and her golden eyes reverted back to their normal bronze. Sighing at her antics, Vali merely grabbed her hand before she could dash off and somehow end up in someone's white van yet again.

* * *

"So the operation ended in total failure?"

"Yes Lord Maestrif, although unmitigated disaster would be a more apt term. The Archbishop was killed and the Vatican has evidence of our dealings. Several of our contacts have already fled to us for protection against the coming purges."

Hidden in the underworld, far from the sight of his enemies, Lord Maestrif, a lone high class devil with blue hair and orange eyes listened stoically to the reports of his pawns within the comforts of a gaudily furnished study, complete with a fireplace burning with a dark purple flame.

"And of our Grigori contacts?"

"Most have been silenced. The few that are still active have already confirmed Baraqiel's recovery. He's currently undergoing rehabilitation, but is expected to fully recover within a year."

Sighing in frustration, Maestrif reaches under his desk and pulls out a glass of wine to soothe his nerves, all while being watched by his pawns.

"So, the Grigori will soon enter the battle in full force, and now we are utterly blind to the Vatican's and by extension, the Heavens' movements. I anticipated the possibility of failure, but nothing this catastrophic."

Swirling the wine in his glass, he breathed in the aroma of the drink, soothing his fraying mood.

"And let me guess, the Old Satan faction have deemed it fit to annoy me once more with promises of alliance and riches."

"Indeed my lord. Shall we accept?"

"At our current moment of perceived weakness? Any negotiations we perform now will be at our disadvantage."

Pacing around the study, the Lord absentmindedly swirled his wine as he voiced his thoughts.

"No, if we are to negotiate now, we will be absorbed into the Old Satans, not stand apart. We need resounding victories if we are to maintain our independence after negotiations. Thankfully the current leadership despises the Himejima and the other principled clans for their actions against the Princess of Destruction's queen. This will give us time…"

Pausing in his steps, he turned to face his pawns.

"What of the remnants of the Utsusemi Agency? After that cruise ship incident are they still capturing humans to fill their ranks?"

"Yes my Lord, although they complain that Yasaka's agents are now running interference."

"Of course they are… their very public abductions are bringing in too much attention. Ever since Himejima Hanezu and their other leaders died, they've become nothing more than disposable meat shields. Inform them to focus on only abducting those with talent, we'll provide the expendable hosts to the Utsusemi."

"And where shall we find said hosts?"

"There are wars and famines throughout the world. With modern technology such as bombs and airstrikes rampant, it will raise relatively few questions if civilians disappear in the fog of war."

"And about their ethnicities standing out in Japan?"

"Terrorists or something. Yasaka will have to figure something out to explain it away. It is not our problem after all."

At their concerns, he merely waved his free hand lazily, only to pause when he saw reluctance in his pawns' eyes. Sighing, he resigned to addressing the concerns of his peerage once again.

"Hah, alright, ask your questions. We've known each other long enough that I can tell you won't be satisfied until you've asked."

"My lord… why are you relying on such rabble? Remnants of defeated organizations. Wouldn't devils under your command be far more effective than using intermediaries, fools that do not even realize that they are mere puppets of your grand design?"

"Indeed, you and your subordinates would be far more effective, but at what cost? Personel is hard to train and replace, so why waste it in the early stages in the war, when it is far cheaper to spend your 'allies' lives. Some will join their rightful place among us, but most will die for us. They are weakening our foes, but victory will not be swift. Not anymore."

At his words, his pawn's heads tilted in confusion, bringing himself to ask the question his peers were too submissive to ask.

"My Lord?"

"One of the Grigori's most powerful angels has returned, and his spawn is already mighty. The scales are beginning to tip into our foe's favor, ever so slightly. And with our friends in the Vatican dead, we no longer have eyes and ears in our other enemy's camp. Without proper intelligence, it is far too risky to attempt a swift resolution to the war. It will take years, not months to achieve victory now. We must move now to solidify our sources of income, for this will become a battle of attrition soon."

"I see, so you are conserving us for later when it matters?"

"Of course. I will not spend your lives casually. To do so would be to disrespect your service and your oaths that you have for so long upheld. Do you now understand our goals?"

"Yes my lord."

"Good."

Seeing the curiosity of his subordinates sated, he nodded and waved them off, silently deploying them across the world. Finally alone, he slid unto his favorite chair and finally took a sip of his wine.

 _With Baraqiel back into the mix, this chaotic melee is bound to become even more turbulent. But this is fine, I'll just play the long game, as I always have. The Old Satan faction, the new Satans… Fools, all of them! I will be my own master, and my bloodline will follow suit._

 _Let my enemies bleed themselves, I can wait, afterall…_

 _Victory comes to the patient._

* * *

Author's Notes:

Heya Peeps!

Got a new chapter out, it was a bit harder than expected to write, but I think it turned out ok. After this we'll be entering DXD, starting with the Raynare Arc I mostly finished before. I can finally cut out that exposition that stalled my flow the first time around. Oh and as for why this came out later than expected, I can only give you one reason:

ShadowBringers.

It was released just as I was finishing this chapter, so even though I finished writing, my editor and I were too busy playing a storyline so dark that it was bright outside (FF14 players will understand what I mean). And being chased by Master Asia… and stumbling into a village straight out of Jim Henson.

So yep, current plans are to finish revising the next chapter then writing the next chapter of Dragon Saint. Then back to Truth, my Truth fans are getting antsy.

Oh and what the heck is going on with the polls? The rankings save for 1st and last place keep changing that it's kinda shocking. Stuff I thought wouldn't be that popular are getting so many votes while those I thought peeps would love are lagging far behind now. Right then, back to Shadowbreakers, insta queue duties for me (Heals 4 life)

* * *

Editor's notes:

Shadowbringers. I relished in denying you your pleasure of reading this chapter simply to indulge in my own.

10/10 would stall editing a chapter for it again

Fans of 14 are bound to understand.


	10. Chapter 9: A Trial of Fire and Flames

"Asia… I'll save you, no matter what…"

Issei gritted his teeth while clutching his wound, walking alone towards an abandoned church. There was a limp in his step, and unsteadiness in his gait, but his eyes blazed defiantly, his determination outpacing his body's limits.

 _Guh… maybe I should've returned to Buchou before setting off… but then again, she might've tried to stop me. I'm probably being an idiot, but this is something I have to do. I… I have to save Asia!_

Stumbling forward, Issei barely caught himself before falling down. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone.

"Tch, maybe I should call for help… Buchou will be pissed at me, but if it'll improve our chances of rescuing Asia…"

Limping forward, he sighed and prepared for his king's admonishment when she answered the call.

* * *

"You called Uncle Az?"

"Ah, Ritsuka, glad you made it. I have a mission for you. Urgent business."

"Hm? What's up?"

"Remember the Twilight Healing?"

"Yeah. Did she arrive?"

"See now, that's the problem. She should have been here days ago. I received confirmation that she arrived safely in Kuoh a couple days before, but after that, nothing. Raynare should have delivered her already."

"Do you think something went wrong Uncle?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm sending you. Your father and the others are too busy to escort you, so I'm trusting you to handle this alone. This will be your first solo mission, so are you ready?"

"Yeah Uncle Az! I've been ready! I mean, I've already fought in battle before, and besides, this is just an inspection mission right?"

Azazel smiled sadly at her words.

"Yes, but you're only twelve, Ritsuka. You shouldn't be an experienced warrior... Demi-servant or not."

"Don't worry Uncle Az, I'll be back soon!"

Without waiting for a response, Ritsuka turned around and dashed out of the room, her black wings appearing on her back. As soon as her wings cleared the front door, she jumped and soared into the air. In her hasty exit, she nearly forgot to use magic to hide her presence to the normal world.

 _She's really eager to bring the Twilight Healer here. Although, it makes sense, seeing the state of her family._

Lazily walking down the hall, he paused to gaze into the guest room, where a familiar form slept silently while being hooked up to countless devices. Frowning, Azazel shook his head before continuing down the hall, stepping into his office to peruse some of the reports sent by his scattered agents throughout the world.

 _Dammit Baraqiel, Ritsuka needs you here, not travelling throughout the world looking for Nozomi. She's gone! Even the Gremory clan, famous for their possessiveness over their peerage and family, acknowledged that she's gone..._

Wearily shaking his head, his thoughts shifted towards the young girl he raised.

 _A demi-servant… when a fragment of a legend merges with a mortal to create a new being, a new legend. Ritsuka has become a monster. Still, to think that the grief of Gilles de Rais could manifest as its own iteration of Jeanne d'Arc. And a classic tsundere to boot! Oh, if only I could show Michael and the rest of Heaven!_

Azazel smirked, remembering his indirect interactions with the spirit, using a young Ritsuka as an intermediary. Of all the hidden insults he sent to the prickly spirit in which she should could not respond to without explaining and corrupting the pureness that was young Ritsuka.

 _Ah, baiting Jeanne Alter is so much fun. And it's not like she'll be summoned any time soon. From what she has revealed to me and my own observations, it will take decades for Ritsuka to build up enough mana reserves to summon her without a "grail" subsidizing the process. Heh, and by then she'll forget about it._

Flipping through a few more reports, Azazel absentmindedly signed off a few more assignments before sighing. Looking out the window in the direction his young ward flew in, he took in a deep breath.

 _I hope you aren't fooling around Raynare, Ritsuka isn't as forgiving as I when it comes to playing around on the job…_

* * *

As Ritsuka blitzed through the air, her face was marred with a grim determination. Gusts of wind buffeted the people below here as she soared by, but she refused to relent.

 _Wow Master, you're leaving quite the trail of mayhem behind you. I've never seen you this driven before. What's the big deal?_

 _Oh right, you weren't listening a few days ago about the Twilight Healer._

 _What's so special about it?_

 _It's a sacred gear that heals indiscriminately. There are few things that it cannot treat. Few people that it cannot save._

 _Huh, like a healing Noble Phantasm? Why would… ah… I see. I understand. Why the hell would Raynare goof around when she's so urgently needed?_

 _I don't know, but we're about to find out._

 _Hmph. Don't hesitate to use my power again. I trust your judgement on what punishment the fools that stand before you deserve._

 _Like Blackbeard?_

 _Especially like Blackbeard! And that shitty Saber maid!_

 _I still don't remember her Jeanne Alter._

 _Good! You are better off not remembering that bitch!_

 _Still… I wish I remembered more, Jeanne Alter… about Chaldea and the others._

 _Don't worry about it Master, the fact that you can remember tidbits of your old life is enough for me. Much of your time there is a bit horrific to be honest, so don't worry about remembering for now and enjoy your childhood a bit more. Wanna go to the beach after we slaughter Raynare and the others?_

 _Why are you always assuming that we are going to kill them?_

 _Well, isn't violence usually the answer to our problems Master?_

 _I hate how true that is…_

 _Hahahaha! Regardless, let's get this over with and bring the Twilight Healer back! I think we're overdue for a family trip, don't you think?_

 _Yeah… I think Mom would like that… and Dad will know all the good places to go…_

 _He better come back after this, I'll give him a sampling of hellfire next time we see him if he doesn't._

 _Be nice…_

 _He's a fallen angel, Master! He deserves a bit either way! Especially for all those restless nights back at the shrine..._

 _...? What are you talking about Jeanne?_

 _Ask your parents later when they are back._

 _Uh… ok?_

Frowning at her servant's reluctance to elaborate, Ritsuka shifted her gaze to approaching ruined church. Sensing the auras of familiar angels, she lowered her altitude and gracefully landed before the entrance. Three fallen walked out to greet her, all palling at the unintentional scowl upon Ritsuka's face

"You guys have _**a lot**_ of explaining to do."

* * *

"Your visit is… most unexpected, Lady Ritsuka. But what do you mean we have some explaining to do? We've been performing our tasks as expected."

"Is that so Dohnaseek? Then why hasn't the Twilight Healer arrived yet? She was expected a couple days ago."

"She has arrived, and we are holding her as per instructions. Didn't Raynare report it?"

"No, and what do you mean she's 'being held'? She should have been delivered to Uncle Az as soon as she got here!"

Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, and Mittelt looked at each other in mutual confusion, unsure as to how to respond to Ritsuka's words. But before they could gather their thoughts, a certain pervert with a red gauntlet burst out of the bushes, haggard and panting, but eyes gleaming with determination.

"Hey you bastards! Give back Asia!"

Summoning all the bluster and resolve he could muster, the pervert stood alone against his foes. The fallen angels before him looked at him in shock, before the elder three angels gave him patronizing and sadistic smiles. But what he found the most unnerving was the smallest one, a child with black and vermillion hair looked at him with shock and increasing annoyance before adopting a fierce scowl.

"Dohnaseek. Explain to me why the Grigori were not notified that Hyoudou Issei was converted into a devil?"

"Because Raynare was careless and didn't stay to make sure there were no devils around when she killed him."

"Excuse me? Your orders were to **watch** Issei and to **escort** the Twilight Healer to safety. Why the hell would Uncle Az have a sacred gear holder killed without reason?"

"Because he is a potential threat?"

"Is this your reasoning or Raynare's, Dohnaseek?"

"..."

"Your silence speaks volumes."

Turning her back towards the elder fallen, Ritsuka casually walked towards the new devil, her eyes stern but with a hint of sympathy. Bowing politely, she casually introduced herself.

"Hello Hyoudou-san, my name is Himejima Ritsuka. I wish our introduction was on better terms, but time isn't on our side. Would you kindly tell me what happened to you over the past few days? It would seem my friends here were being stupid."

"Talk? There's not time to talk! Return Asia to me!"

"I might, _**IF**_ you tell me what happened to you."

Issei paused, staring at the little girl in confusion before glancing back at the other fallen. Noticing the shift in his eyes, Ritsuka turned her head to face her compatriots.

"Don't you dare try to scare him into not talking. If I get a hint of you doing that, you will _**burn**_. Am I clear?"

Quietly nodding, the three fallen averted their eyes. Their presence seemed to shrivel and shrink in comparison to the oppressive aura of the small child. Beads of sweat formed on Issei's face, the quiet pressure of the child affecting him despite not being the intended recipient. He could only gulp nervously when her bronze eyes shifted back to him.

"Now then Hyoudou-san, tell me what happened, briefly."

Taking a deep breath, Issei took a moment to calm himself.

 _This little girl must be a head honcho. Maybe she's older than she looks like the others? I don't think it was a good idea to take on all these angels at once now that I think about it. Maybe chatting briefly won't be a waste of time? At least it gives Buchou and the others a chance to catch up._

Nodding, Issei began to speak, telling the tale of a lovely first date that ended in treachery, tragedy and rebirth as a devil. Of meeting Asia, befriending the nun, and of course, Buchou's wondrous rack.

* * *

 _This guy is an idiot, no an idiot pervert. If it wasn't for the fact that he tried to create such a wonderful normal first date, I'd think he was a molester based on how much he won't stop talking about boobs._

 _Master, this guy reminds me of Blackbeard. Can we kill him out of principle?_

 _Like Raynare? No thanks._

 _Still sounds tempting to me, Master._

Shaking her head, Ritsuka refocused on the idiotic perverted victim before her. As much as she tried to discern falsehood with Jeanne Alter's assistance, she could find nothing but disturbing sincerity. Especially about the breasts. Sighing, she looked towards the other three fallen, who were anxiously staring at her, like criminals awaiting their fates before a harsh judge.

 _It would seem that these three are loyal, but didn't bother to question whether or not Raynare was acting in the best interests of the Grigori or simply indulging in their sadism. How annoying. And now there are several devil signatures approaching. Gremory's peerage… sister's peerage… I need to be quick before she arrives._

"The three of you are idiots, not thinking about whether or not Raynare's actions made sense. Once we get back, you WILL be punished. But Uncle Az will be nice if you do a good job now."

Solemnly nodding, the three looked anxiously on, awaiting her instructions.

"Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, stall the Gremory Peerage but **do not** fight them, are we clear?"

The pair raised a brow in confusion but did not question her orders, instead immediately taking to the air to intercept the incoming devils.

"Mittelt, go inside and clear out the exorcists. Tell them to return to base. If they don't leave, treat them as traitors deserve. I don't want to see a single one when I go inside to deal with Raynare."

"Got it."

Upon receiving her orders, Mittelt smiled as she rushed inside, relishing in the thought of maybe venting her frustrations on some humans, or at the very least, imagining Raynare's rapidly approaching fate.

"As for you Hyoudou-san, go in and be a hero. Rescue the girl, but keep Raynare talking. Get her to reveal her plans. Once you do, I'll go in and punish her."

"Got it!"

Without hesitation, Issei charged forward, only to fall backwards when Ritsuka grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

 _Ow! What the hell is she made of? Koneko?_

"Idiot! Give Mittelt a few minutes to clear out the exorcists before charging in!"

"But you said…"

"Be a hero, not a boob-driven fool."

"Ugh…"

"Be patient, it will only be a few more minutes."

At her words, Issei paced behind her, barely able to vent out his impatience.

 _Dammit, dammit, dammit! We need to hurry up! This girl told her allies not to fight Buchou, but the longer we wait, the more likely things will get out of hand. Let's go already, dammit!_

His patience however, was rewarded as stray exorcists streamed out of the church like a torrent. Of the crowd, a deranged exorcist sporting a manic smile separated from the crowd, light sword drawn.

"Hm? Is that the pathetic shitty devil from before? Oh this will be a…."

His words died in his mouth upon seeing Ritsuka's scowl. Growling in irritation, he turned his back and began to run with the others, shouting in frustration as his back faded into the distance.

"You little piece of shit devil! I'm going to enjoy killing you later, just when you aren't hiding behind the Fucking Inquisition like the little bitch that you are!"

Issei could only stare dumbly at the fleeing exorcists, not even noticing that Ritsuka had already released his arm.

"Uh… what just...?"

"The way is finally clear and _now_ you want to stand around and do nothing?"

"Oh shit, you're right! I'm coming Asia!"

Snapping out of a vulgar exorcist induced daze, Issei shook his head and slapped his cheeks before charging forward into the newly vacated church.

Chuckling, Ritsuka took a step in before turning to face the direction Dohnaseek and Kalawarner flew to meet the devils.

 _Nee-san… I hope you're alright…_

Wistfully shaking her head, she walked into the church.

A traitor needed to face their trial.

* * *

A fierce scowl formed on Rias's face as she led her peerage in a hasty march towards the ruined church. She was unusually quiet, with her peerage not speaking a word, hoping not to interrupt whatever plans their King was formulating in her mind.

 _Issei, you idiot! Had you come back first, we could have made and a plan to deal with the Fallen! As your king, it is my duty to punish you! But what would be an appropriate punishment? I know, you deserve a spanking after this! Maybe even two or three! Is two or three too much? Should I go up to a thousand? That's what Sona would recommend… but he is new… Hmm…_

A bright light snapped Rias out of her thoughts as two fallen angels appeared before her and her peerage. Kiba and Koneko immediately positioned themselves between the Fallen and their king, with sword drawn and fists raised, their killing intent leaking out. Akeno calmly stood by Rias's side, a frown forming on her face upon seeing Dohnaseek.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to go any further Rias Gremory. I have orders to keep you and your peerage here uninvolved with Grigori matters until this incident is resolved."

"Uninvolved!? After what you all have done to Issei, you have the gall to say we aren't involved?!"

Rias's aura exploded in rage, the power of destruction oozing around her, only for it to dissipate with Akeno's gentle touch upon her shoulder.

"Wait just a moment Buchou."

Calmly walking forward, Akeno stood between her peerage and the fallen angels, her arms crossed while she addressed them.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Dohnaseek?"

"Indeed, Lady Akeno. About 7 years now, hasn't it?"

"Will you let us through? I don't want to fight a familiar face, especially one who stood by my original family."

"I cannot Lady Akeno, my orders are strict. We cannot allow you to advance any further. This is for your own good, as well as our own. After all, the **Inquisition** is here."

Dohnaseek winced upon saying the word, with Kalawarner shuddering upon its utterance. His gaze shifted away from Akeno and towards Rias, who stared back with a complicated expression on her face. Taking a few steps forward, she walked to Akeno's side and spoke.

"Is she… is she really there?

"Yes."

Kiba and Koneko quickly glanced at their king in confusion, before turning their attention back at the fallen angel, who merely stood in their path.

"Buchou?"

"The situation has become incredibly complicated Kiba, if what he says is true, we can't advance recklessly. However…"

Taking another step forward, Rias condensed her power of destruction into an orb and pointed it directly at the fallen before her.

"That could easily be a lie to slow us down."

Both Dohnaseek and Kalawarner's eyes widened as they took a step back, wings unfurled, preparing to flee. Noting their lack of resistance, Rias dissipated the energy and crossed her arms.

"She ordered you not to fight us, didn't she?"

The pair nodded, unable to suppress the cold sweat that took hold of them as they faced the Princess of Destruction. Nodding in satisfaction, she signalled for her peerage to stand down.

"Then call her. I will be coming to pick up Issei and you will not stop me. I am willing however, to accommodate her needs. Tell her that I'm willing to come with only one member of my peerage, my rook Koneko."

Nodding in acceptance, Dohnaseek glanced at Kalawarner who flew back a distance and created a magical formula. Without waiting, Rias walked forward with Koneko behind her. Dohnaseek merely stepped aside as they walked by, his face betraying a bitter expression.

 _Raynare… this entire endeavor has become a colossal pain in the ass. I wish I could see you as you burn for this mess._

Turning to face the remaining devils, Dohnaseek noticed the apprehension in their eyes as their king left them behind. He quickly found himself smiling wryly, as he realized he probably had the same expression as theirs, but for very different reasons.

* * *

"Raynare!"

Roaring in fury, Issei abandoned any sense of stealth when he saw Asia's state. Opening a door to a side room in the church's basement, he found Asia's holding area. Her clothes were torn and tattered, her body covered in bruises while being chained to a cross. All the while, Raynare stood before her, gently caressing a riding crop, striking her victim again.

So focused on her victim, Raynare did not notice a thing before she heard Issei's roar, and the ensuing fist to her face.

"What… How the hell did you make it in here!? There's no way a pathetic little devil could have made it past all those exorcists and fallen angels!"

"Maybe you underestimated me, Yu- no Raynare. I'm going to kick your ass, rescue Asia, and go home."

"Right…"

Unamused, she promptly summoned 2 spears of light and struck his legs, swiftly bringing him to his knees. Horrified, Asia cried out in terror at the sight of her first friend falling once more to protect her.

"ISSEI! NO! Don't die! Please!"

"Geez, the two of you are annoying. I'm feeling nice though, so I think I'll kill you before I finish with my cute little Asia here. Spare you the sight and all, hehehehehe…"

Snarling, the perverted teen glared at his tormentor.

"Oh, and what would that be, you sadistic bitch?!"

Smirking cruelly, she struck him once more with another spear of light, collapsing him into the ground, heedless of Asia's panicked begging.

"Simple, I'm going to take her Twilight Healing from her. It'll be a slow, empty death for her, but her death will be well worth the adulations of Azazel-sama! Oh, the praises I shall receive for how useful I was to the Grigori! But for you, this is the end. Don't worry, I'll send you your new girlfriend soon after!"

Raising her hand, light once more gathered to form a spear. Grinning like a joyful executioner, her hand fell, only for it to be impaled by a purple stake.

"Gyah! What the-"

More stakes flew into the room, pinning her wings into the wall, locking her legs together, and crippling her arms. Hellfire seeped into the room as armored footsteps grew ever louder. Fear settled into Raynare's form as she desperately tried to escape, heedless to the damage of the stakes ripping into her flesh as she wiggled and squirmed. Her blood flowed to the floor, only for it to steam and evaporate as the heat of the hellfire ever intensified.

"You have quite the nerve Raynare… Not only did you kill an observation target without just cause, but you tortured a VIP and plotted to steal her powers for yourself. For such treachery, there can only be one outcome, one judgement."

"No… no no no no no! I did nothing wrong! I didn't do anything! It's that devil's fault!"

Tears of utter terror streamed from Raynare's cheeks as a small child, adorned in black armor and a cloak, bearing the banner of a dragon walked into the room. Her bronze eyes were replaced by that of lumenant gold, promising an indifferent, harsh judgement. Issei and Asia could only watch on, petrified by fear at her terrible, if tiny countenance.

"Idiot. You've already confessed… All that remains is your punishment."

"Issei… please…"

The perverted teen cringed at the voice, Yuuma's voice as his "first" girlfriend appeared once more.

"Please… don't let her do this to me…"

"You wench... You toy with your victim's heart even now? I should burn you as you stand… but for once, I'll let someone else decide. Hyoudou-kun, you were her primary victim. What should be done with her? Should she be spared? Should she die?"

"I…"

Looking at the bloodied form of his first love, the pleading eyes of the girl he tried his best to bring happiness to, he turned his gaze and hobbled towards Asia.

"Do whatever you want."

"Very well."

"Issei, no I- GIYAAAAAAAA!"

Hellfire erupted from the ground and consumed the Fallen angel, leaving nothing but ashes to fall upon the floor. Unamused, a sword materialized in the child's hand as she walked towards the bound nun. Asia's apprehension soon turned to relief after her bonds were destroyed, allowing her to rush forward and heal her first friend. The pair smiled in relief, content to be in each other's company as the child watched on, nodding in satisfaction. Then after a few minutes of comfortable silence, the child finally spoke up, outstretching her hand towards the nun.

"Now that everything has been settled, it's time for you to come with me, Asia the Twilight Healer. You are late as is."

The pair looked at the child apprehensively, with Issei positioning himself between Asia and the powerful child.

"As much as I owe you for kicking Raynare's ass, I don't think she should stay with the Grigori, not after everything has happened."

"You make it sound as if you have a say in the matter. She WILL come with me, with or without your permission Hyoudou-kun."

The pair cringed as mana saturated the room. Her eyes narrowed in frustration before she took another step forward.

"Now is not the time for this. Your king is already on her way Hyoudou-kun, and if I'm still here when she arrives, it could easily devolve into a fight. One that could easily put Asia at risk. We need to leave, NOW."

"But…"

"Fine, I swear in the name of Azazel, leader of the Grigori, that I will return Asia to you should she desire it. But seriously, we need to leave!"

Indecision wracked Issei, until a familiar hand grasped his shoulder.

"It'll be fine Issei, she won't let me come to harm."

"But, how do you know that Asia?"

"I can see it in her eyes. I've seen it too many times before. There is someone who you need me to save, isn't there?"

Ritsuka's eyes widened in surprise before relaxing into a wry smile.

"Yes. My mother"

"Then I'll come with you, but can you drop me off at Issei's house afterwards?"

"Of course. Are you ready?"

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Asia wrapped her arms around the small child before turning to look at her friend.

"I'll see you soon Issei. You'll wait for me, right?"

"Of course, you better come right back! I still need to introduce you to my parents."

Nodding, Asia yelped when they suddenly took to the air, Ritsuka destroying the floors and ceilings that stood between them and the open sky. All the while, Issei could only silently watch from below, barely concealing his worry.

* * *

The awkward silence that surrounded Rias's remaining peerage and the awaiting fallen angels was shattered as splinters of the church's roof scattered across the land.

"Hmph, looks like Raynare bit the dust… or rather became it. Good riddance."

Taking to the air, Dohnaseek and Kalawarner followed after them, with only Dohnaseek pausing to face Akeno.

"Farewell Lady Akeno, may we next meet under better circumstances."

"Indeed. Say hi to Uncle Azazel for me, will you?"

"Of course."

Glancing over to Kiba, she motioned with her eyes to come with her. Nodding, they both took off in a sprint towards the smoldering church.

* * *

"Ise, you are alright!"

"Buchou!"

Shuddering in relief, Rias ran forward and embraced her wayward pawn, completely ignoring the now smouldering church around them.

"I was so worried about you!"

"I'm sorry Buchou… but I couldn't leave Asia alone with those monsters."

"What's important is that you are ok. So what happened here?"

After briefly glancing around at the slowly burning church around them and noticing Koneko's and Rias's utter nonchalance, he bashfully scratched the back of his head and averted their gaze.

"Well Buchou… it started after Raynare ambushed me again after a date..."

Rias's mood shifted from her previous exuberance to a more serious stare as she listened to her pawn's tale, with her breath briefly hitching when she heard Ritsuka's name. From then on, she listened with rapt attention, never uttering a word until Issei finished.

"I see, so something drastic must have happened to her family… Issei, you are to NEVER speak of that fallen angel's name again. The same goes for you Koneko. This is an absolute order. If you must refer to her, call her by her moniker, The Inquisition."

At her order, her pawn and her rook held looks of confusion with Koneko tilting her head in curiosity before nodding in compliance. Her perverted pawn on the other hand...

"Ok… but why Buchou?"

"I can't tell you why right now, but I am completely serious Ise, Koneko. If you carelessly speak her real name, it will cause a host of problems I can't deal with yet. I'll explain later when it's safe."

"Oh… ok, so just call her by that ominous nickname, The Inquisition... Got it."

"Good. Oh, and Koneko, hold Ise down."

"Eh!? Why?!"

"You've been a naughty child Ise, and it is the king's duty to punish unruly members of her peerage. You deserve a spanking. Normally, you are supposed to get a thousand, but since you are new, I think we can settle for five."

"Wait, what?!"

Forced on all fours, he could only watch in horror as a magical formula formed on Rias's hand. The horror made manifest as the impact stuck him with such force that he felt it in his soul.

"Oh god! Ouch! Why does this hurt so much!"

"Don't worry Issei, only 4 more to go!"

Tears of pain streamed down Issei's cheeks as his other cheeks cried out in pain. Even Koneko's distaste for the pervert could not suppress her urge to wince at each strike, pitying him for being punished after helping a girl instead of his usual harassment. After the final strikes, she gently pulled up her perverted comrade, steadying him as his balance was as obliterated along with his bottom.

"Good, let's go outside and meet up with the others. Oh and Issei, if you accidently say that fallen angel's name, you can expect 10 thousand spankings, ok?"

"Understood Buchou! I won't say a word! I swear to god! Ow!"

Shaking her head at her pawn's antics, Rias and Koneko ran out of the now fully burning building with Issei carried like a sack of potatoes by the smaller girl. Immediately after escaping the church, they found Akeno and Kiba, who immediately began preparing teleportation circles. But even as she prepared, Akeno spared a concerned glance towards the pawn.

"Is Issei ok? He can barely stand, did the angels hurt him? Will he be alright?"

"Ah, don't worry Akeno, I merely administered his punishment. He'll be fine."

"Oh, that's good."

Akeno sighed in relief before mischievously smirking at the pervert.

"Ara, ara, I wonder how _harsh_ Buchou was in punishing you Issei to be put in such a state…"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh? Hehehe."

"Enough teasing him Akeno, we need to meet Sona immediately. The situation has become incredibly complicated."

"Hm? What happened Buchou?"

"I'll explain when we reach the Student Council. No need to explain the same thing twice."

"Understood."

* * *

"This is most unusual Rias, what happened?"

"The Inquisition happened."

Narrowing her eyes, Sona took a deep breath and rested her head upon her hands. Concerned, both her and Rias's peerage anxiously looked on, before Saji finally spoke up.

"So yeah, what's this about an Inquisition, Kaichou?"

"Saji… remember when I said the three factions are currently under a ceasefire?"

"Yeah?"

"Around two years ago, the cease fire nearly collapsed and we were on the verge of open war."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. It started when over a third of the Vatican's leadership in the Americas were burned to a crisp over the course of around 15 to 18 months."

"Holy shit! Are you serious?!"

"Indeed. They were all killed by a single Grigori. With minimal help, she broke into every stronghold the Vatican had in North and South America, and judged all the clergy she found. Any found wanting were left as nothing more than a pile of warm ashes."

"And the Vatican did nothing in response?!"

"At first they were out for her blood, until they reviewed the evidence left behind. Every member she killed were guilty of heinous crimes or consorting with devils. After _that_ came to light, the church had no idea what to do. She was disrespecting the church's authority with her blatant killings, but she was also purging them of all their traitors. They also had to consider that all the stray devils in whatever region she currently was in also tended to die excruciating deaths too. She was so effective at it that the Vatican gave her the moniker of The Inquisition due to how brutally effective she was at destroying treason and heresy."

A stunned silence befell the group before Rias decided to add to Sona's explanation.

"She's even incinerated her fellow Grigori. Nii-sama complained to me that most of his contacts and agents in the Grigori were brutally purged by her. And Raynare, that bitch of a fallen angel that was toying with my adorable pawn felt her wrath. I missed it unfortunately, but Issei saw first hand how terrifying she could be."

Issei shuddered at the memories of Raynare's final moments. Shaking his head to force out the memories of her dying screams, he opened his eyes to see the concerned looks of his fellow devils.

"Yeah… I mean she promised not to hurt me or Asia, but it was scary how easily she crushed Yu- Raynare and incinerated her. With Raynare, I felt like I had a shot, a tiny chance to beat her. The Inquisition though… it was like I was facing an immortal, pissed off judge as a bound criminal. A wrathful god that could crush me at any moment for doing something it didn't like."

At his words, both peerages briefly fell silent before the devils began discussing potential counter measures in dealing with The Inquisition, as well as any possible motives for her presence in the area in the first place beyond a rogue fallen angel. But during the discussions a certain pervert stood silent, lost in his thoughts.

 _Did… did I make the right decision? That chibi has killed so many already… did I condemn Asia to her fickle rules? Please Asia, be alright…_

* * *

"Uncle Az, how is she?"

"Physically, she's fine Ritsuka, but…"

"But she's not waking up… Why?! No matter how much I heal her, she won't wake up! Twilight Healing has never failed like this before! So why…"

Panting from the exertion, Asia continued to pour her strength into the Twilight Healing in a vain attempt to heal her charge. It was only until she was gently pulled away by Azazel that she stopped her ministrations.

"Asia, stop. You've done all you can. Her body is in pristine condition now, what is damaged is her soul, which is beyond even your ability to heal."

"So not even the greatest healing sacred gear that Gramps made can save her? Is mom never going to wake up...?"

A twang a panic seeped into Ritsuka's voice as she stared at her mother's unwaking body, tears but a moment away from being shed. Asia could only watch on in guilt before tears of shame started pouring from her own eyes.

"Oi, what's with the tears girls? It's not like she's going to die in a few moments. Her condition is better than before, and now we can focus on searching for ways to restore her soul. Sure, it's not the immediate quick fix that we wanted, but at least things are better now."

Blinking away a few tears, Ritsuka's gaze shifted to her decidedly unreliable uncle.

"Really Uncle Az?"

"Would I lie to you Ritsuka?"

 _Master, remember when Vali gave you his stuffed white dragon and it disappeared? The ass lied about hiding it and it took us hours to find it again._

 _You're right Jeanne Alter! Never again shall we leave a comrade unprotected against the world! For Faf-nee! For Luci-nii!_

At her unamused glare, he coughed and glanced to the side, remembering the impressive tantrum the girl had.

"What I meant to say was, would I lie to you about something like this?"

"No…"

"What I mean is that thanks to Asia's efforts, we no longer have to fear the poison that was still running rampant in her system, I can unplug most of these machines now and focus on my research."

"Unplug the machines, Uncle Az?"

"Ah right, I never did explain what they do, did I?"

Shaking her head, she and Asia took a few steps back, listening to Azazel's words with rapt attention while he powered down and dismantled his machines.

"Long ago, there was a princess cursed by a wicked fairy that on her birthday, she will be pricked by a needle and fall into a deep sleep. Her parents, fearing for her safety, banned all spindles in their kingdom, only to fail to stop the prophecy. But instead of dying, she and their kingdom merely fell into a deep slumber, only to awaken a century later when a brave prince braved the thorns and woke her with a kiss. The entire kingdom, once covered by thorns of the curse awoke as if nothing had happened. No one had aged, nothing had changed. It was as if time had frozen for the kingdom."

After the machines were safely powered down, he began dismantling them, revealing relics of the fae; charmed jewels, blessed cloths, magical herbs and leaves.

"Using that story as a base, I was able to mimic its effects. Didn't you find it strange Ritsuka? That your mom stayed the same, no wrinkles on her face, no changes to her health? Only the scrunching of her face to show her pain."

Ritsuka and Asia could only stare at the fallen angel in awe.

"I froze her time until we could heal her. Now that Twilight Healing as treated her wounds and nullified the poison effects, we have no need to waste power and money to keep her in stasis. Her soul will be in better condition too. Remember the saying 'Mind over matter'? Just as the mind affects the body, so too does the body affect the mind. Neither is free of influence of the other. And the soul does not exist in a vacuum independent of them. Together, they form a trinity, that makes the self."

At his words, a small smile formed on Asia's lips.

"So even though I failed to wake her, I was still able to help her. She's closer to being saved."

"Yep, you did a good job kiddo. We are but a small step away from saving her and reuniting a broken family. I have an idea on how to restore her soul, but I currently lack the means to."

"What!? You know a way Uncle Az?!"

In utter desperation, Ritsuka ran forward and tightly gripped his clothes, tears in her eyes as she looked up into her guardian's eyes...

"What do we need to do?! Is there another trial I need to face? A monster I need to vanquish?! Is there anything I can do!?"

...only to be met with a sad smile.

"Nope, something beyond your abilities… Politics."

"Politics?"

Nodding he gestured towards their guest.

"For example, I knew about sacred gear Twilight Healing, but I had no way to enlist Argento-san's help until those fools at the church exiled her… Kinda glad you didn't purge **all** their incompetents Ritsuka."

"Hey! I wasn't that bad!"

Pouting, Ritsuka merely crossed her arms in annoyance while Asia giggled. Seeing that the young girl was too upset to talk, she spoke in her stead.

"So Azazel-san… does that mean you require another person's help to treat Himejima-san?"

"Yep, but unlike you, no amount of intrigue or circumstances will push him away from his faction. If we want his help, we need a peace treaty so I can formally request his aid. Unfortunately for Ritsuka, she can't help with this problem."

"Is it because she's too young?"

"Yeah that too, and the fact that she's humiliated the Vatican quite a few times. Hard to become an ambassador when the other side doesn't know if they want to… *ahem* embrace you or kill you."

At his words, both girls tilted their heads in confusion while Azazel wore a mischievous smirk.

 _Ritsuka's eyes have become unfocused, she's asking Jeanne Alter what do I mean by that. So you immature Tsundere, will you corrupt the child you inhabit, or will you do your best to stave off a child's curiosity, only to make her even more curious._

Chuckling, Azazel shook his head before motioning the girls to follow him. Leading them to Ritsuka's room, he motioned them to go inside.

"Well then Argento-san, I know you wanted to return to Issei-kun's side right away, but after all the trouble we put you though, it wouldn't feel right to just drop you off. Spend the night here with Ritsuka-chan while I put together some paperwork and pay off the right officials so you can stay without any problems. It's the least I can do after all the trouble I put you through and all the help you've given us despite it."

Bowing her head, Asia merely smiled.

"No, thank you Azazel-san. After all, if it wasn't for you, I never would have met my first friend Issei and experienced the outside world. Thank you."

The fallen angel could only smile bashfully at the nun's earnest reply, simply muttering:

"Why on Earth would Micheal let a good kid like you get excommunicated…"

With a sigh, he merely shooed the girl into Ritsuka's room.

"Hah… you really are too sweet kid, go on and get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll send you back to Issei."

Nodding, she walked inside only to find a nervous Ritsuka fidgeting on her bed.

"Sorry Asia… I only have one bed in the room… If you don't want to share though I can take a chair or something."

Shaking her head, Asia merely smiled at how adorable her new friend was being and sat next to her.

"Don't worry about it. Before my sacred gear manifested, sometimes I had to bunk with my fellow nuns. A life of piety in the service of the lord does not bring wealth, and sometimes there were not enough beds to go around. After becoming a 'holy maiden', I was isolated from my fellows, it was lonely. In a way, this is a return to how things were before everything got complicated."

"Huh, before I came to live with Uncle Az, I used to sleep with my sisters… then everything went wrong and my mom was hurt. Now all I have to keep me company is Faf-nee and Luci-nii. Do you think you can treat Faf-nee?"

Pointing at two stuffed dragon plushies of black and white, Asia noticed the black one was charred and burnt. Noticing Ritsuka's longing gaze, she could only smile apologetically.

"Sorry Ritsuka… my sacred gear doesn't work on plushies, but I can ask Issei if he knows anyone that can fix it. He showed and taught me so many things about the outside world, I bet he'd know where we should go to get Faf-nee treated!"

"Really? He seemed kinda unreliable though… "

"Nope! He's the best!"

"Heh, I suppose he is. Wanna trade stories then? Tell me what's so great about him, and I'll tell you about what's great about my family."

"Hehe… is this what a sleepover is like?"

"Yep! A sleepover! Oh oh, that means we have to talk about boys, and play games! I have co-op video games if you want to try some!"

"I'm not so sure.. I've never played before…"

"Everyone starts somewhere… besides, I bet Issei plays a few. You do want to _do_ things with Issei, _Right?_."

Ritsuka unintentionally accented one too many words in that sentence. Asia could only blush in embarrassment before nodding, much to the child's delight and subsequent squee of joy.

"But only after trading stories first, Ritsuka!"

"Fine fine, but I wanna hear juicy things!"

The sound of laughter, giggles and games echoed throughout the manor, while a satisfied Azazel worked on paperwork, transferring funds to the right people and texted orders to subordinates.

 _Ritsuka is laughing, and not the Jeanne Alter influenced kind. She finally sounds like the kid she is supposed to be. Ritsuka needed this. Hm… Asia is a good kid, but unprotected from the whims of an unscrupulous devil, stray or no._

 _I think I have Ritsuka's next assignment lined up._

A mischievous smile formed on his face as various ideas formed in his mind...

"Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Author's Notes

Heya Peeps!

Weren't expecting (editor-kun was here) a new chapter so fast were you? I wrote most of this chapter a while ago as you guys may have remembered, so really all I had to do was edit some scenes and add a few more at the end. I think it turned out ok. Going to be the last chapter for while where Ritsuka burns someone to death, as much as I know you guys love seeing that.

As for Vali being a bit like Bakugo, when I was doing research about young Vali, I found out that he was a bit of a chuunibyou, aka a mild Megumin. So what would a mild Megumin do when they gain a traumatized little sister?

Become their hero of course!

But you are also a blood knight that likes getting into fights and was exposed to shonen anime by Azazel.

Chuuni + blood knight + shonen hotbloodedness = Young Vali channelling Bakugo without realizing it.

That aside, it will be a while before I update this story again. I need to work on Dragon Saint and Truth next, and finalize the prologues for the next stories.

Lastly, what is going on with the polls? Every time I check the numbers fluctuate. Compared to a few months ago, the favorites have completely changed. I actually don't know anymore what I'll be writing in the future at this rate, lol.

Right then, off to start writing the next chapter of Dragon Saint, see you guys then!

* * *

Editor's Notes:

So, this is probably the third or fourth rundown I had of this chapter, so it's pretty solid from what I edited before and now. It is not Chiyuubi…

(Author's Notes: I utterly butchered the spelling and Editor-kun won't let me live it down.)

...but Chuuni or Chuunibyou for the actual illness. 'Tis a tragic disease that even I had the displeasure of going through, the duration of which I was afflicted I dubbed "The Dark Days". I've recovered from them however, and here I am now rambling about it. Oh how time flies.

So, from editing this chapter and the last once more and going between playing Competitive on Destiny 2 and Shadowbringers in FFXIV, I can say two things:

"Who doesn't love a good inquisition every now and then?" and "I don't hate the scent of burnt priests in the morning."

 _*confused editor face*_


End file.
